tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47643885189127601682024-02-21T10:04:55.275-08:00Organized AliMy goal in writing this is to help you get organized. Being organized allows you to function easier and at a higher level. I also believe that having an organized home and life will greatly reduce stress and anxiety, and make you feel like you accomplished something. I will help you tackle the piles, the junk drawer, the bottomless pits, the garage, your closet, your kids messes, and create a personal organizational system for structuring your life.Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153450114033005257noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764388518912760168.post-82175805112720356542011-06-27T18:29:00.000-07:002011-06-27T18:29:37.004-07:00Closet StorageIf I told you this mass of crazy mess lived in my house would you believe me? Well if I told you that today, I'd be lying, but if I told you last week I would unfortunately be telling the truth.<br />
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Sometimes even organized people have contained messes. It's true. Don't let us fool you too much!<br />
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The story behind this mess is simple. Due to lack of motivation and utter laziness this closet became a bottomless pit. I have seen this happen in so many people's homes. It is so easy to let the space fall by the wayside and allow junk to build up and take over. It became a problem in my house right off the bat when I moved in because no shelves were installed and nothing in particular was done to create an organized space. But that is no longer the case in my house! All I needed was a little motivation and a couple of hours.<br />
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Here's what I did to fix the problem:<br />
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I went on a mission to Target and Lowe's and found some stackable containers and a few shelves and I came back not having spent a whole lot of money, then got to work. <br />
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Small items now are housed in stackable containers and clearly labeled. Thank goodness for this shelf! You can also maybe see that I have photo albums and old yearbooks lined up here too. My loose photos are contained in either gift boxes or photo boxes.<br />
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I found these shelves at Lowe's - Target has a similar version. They are extremely inexpensive (yes, they look inexpensive too, but they do the job!) and easy to put together. They were just what I was looking for. I used the shelves to neatly store games, candles, magazines, old 3-ring binders and college paperwork that I am just not ready to part with, and wrapping paper/accessories. Hint: I use stackable bins to store ribbon and miscellaneous accessories and I use a gift bag to store other gift bags in. Wrapping paper is happily standing next to the shelf waiting for next Christmas.<br />
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These drawers I have had since I was in college, and boy did they come in handy in my dorm room! The top drawer is mostly an organized junk drawer - there is everything from a 3-hole punch to my camera to a box of checks. But! It's organized. In the bottom drawers I keep wires and electronic stuff. The wires are all coiled up individually and secured with a zip tie. If you don't have any zip ties, rubber bands or the twist ties that come on a loaf of bread work just as well!<br />
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We still haven't decided on any bookshelves that we can both agree on. So all of those books that were causing the problem in the first place are still here. But now they are neatly stacked in the corner instead of piled on top of each other.<br />
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I have high hopes that this new system of organization for the closet will work for me because everything is easily accessible, it's well-displayed and I am able to see everything inside the space to know what's there. No more laziness here! All I needed was a little time and a lot of motivation and the rest is history.<br />
</span>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153450114033005257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764388518912760168.post-34200656803454929882011-05-09T17:40:00.000-07:002011-05-09T17:41:18.753-07:00Organizing with what you’ve got… Free ideas for organizing!We’ve all got a house or apartment full of stuff, right? I’m sure that if you put your creative cap on and take a gander through the house you can come up with some pretty good stuff to use to assist you in being more organized. This might be a tall order, but let me take you on a tour of my house and show you what I found.<br />
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Yes, that is a box. A cardboard box. It is the easiest thing I could think of in terms of organizing so that’s why it comes first. A box is perfect for storing just about anything, and chances are high that you’ve got one somewhere in your abode already.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdJi65EoQKJzw7SHQbj1wEUHGmbmDOlLwv_YYFtCGzk7EI4-7SH-Bt1nSFMsMZk2U02Ktd7IvGyQGSDvEbNT3HrexYUWfaL0ZDXIaW35nIYOQkcbHp9VowTp1drzJ6JlsvtKifmFfILav/s1600/organize+at+home+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdJi65EoQKJzw7SHQbj1wEUHGmbmDOlLwv_YYFtCGzk7EI4-7SH-Bt1nSFMsMZk2U02Ktd7IvGyQGSDvEbNT3HrexYUWfaL0ZDXIaW35nIYOQkcbHp9VowTp1drzJ6JlsvtKifmFfILav/s320/organize+at+home+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Do you have what seems like a million half empty travel size shampoo and conditioners? I do! And I have at least 5 toothbrushes that I received from the dentist over the last couple of years. My idea for organizing these and other travel size toiletries was simply to use a gift bag. I keep this under the sink in my guest bathroom.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPxZIOI5T1Kade6D3dPByajRxuFGzyiVbiAY90XmB01vG-dWjThfUgR-3PsNcBXUhBOuRrzs4aMSdHsgHEdwjGcMJR9EhBVLA239oNGpRczd7fwfgI0nc5F6Rq1lncXYJ41eln3TdUC9B/s1600/organize+at+home+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPxZIOI5T1Kade6D3dPByajRxuFGzyiVbiAY90XmB01vG-dWjThfUgR-3PsNcBXUhBOuRrzs4aMSdHsgHEdwjGcMJR9EhBVLA239oNGpRczd7fwfgI0nc5F6Rq1lncXYJ41eln3TdUC9B/s320/organize+at+home+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Another obvious. This is indeed a bag. And it is a bag of bags. Makeup bags to be exact. I love the idea of using a large bag to store makeup bags. Plain and simple.<br />
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I’ve blogged <a href="http://organizedali.blogspot.com/2011/01/recipe-organization.html">here</a> about recipe organization but this is my new file folder for keeping recipes that need to be filed or stored somewhere. File folders have so many uses I could probably write an entire blog post about them and their many uses.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3LePokGL8jo7YOt1O515i_aZKVNl_9iBqhF4DcSnKIhg6q49w-Y8aRb85bWIugpidPaopc69IYHzlinEZlImAC5Kj81jKXmQ_Qm_zknUULR8rsxi7nSeLUsB-pTDAP77dOgajP7RpqSA/s1600/organize+at+home+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3LePokGL8jo7YOt1O515i_aZKVNl_9iBqhF4DcSnKIhg6q49w-Y8aRb85bWIugpidPaopc69IYHzlinEZlImAC5Kj81jKXmQ_Qm_zknUULR8rsxi7nSeLUsB-pTDAP77dOgajP7RpqSA/s320/organize+at+home+009.JPG" /></a></div><br />
How about this one – I think I got this mesh container in a 5-piece set with a waste paper basket, a business card holder, a pencil cup and a mail file when I was a freshman in college. I still have all 5 parts of the set. This one happens to hold my pens, pencils, rubber bands, kitchen post-its and Costco coupons. It lives in my pantry. I can’t think of anything better to use here.<br />
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This one is really genius. This is a cookie tin that I got from my aunt for Christmas one year. Its job now is to hold miscellaneous granola bars and snacks. I really don’t like keeping the entire box of granola bars with one measly bar in it, so when I get down to one or two bars I transfer them to the cookie tin and recycle the box to better utilize the space. This tin also lives in my pantry.<br />
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Let’s move to the bathroom. I have all sorts of organizers in my bathroom and they all came from somewhere else in my house. This shot here is below my sink – I used three votive holders to hold various items – cotton swabs, cotton balls and my makeup brushes; randomly one year my “gift with purchase” from Clinique was the organizer I use to keep my bobby pins, headbands, hair binders and other hair gadgets in. I use a big ole’ basket to keep my hair dryer and assorted curling irons and brushes in, and finally I have another simple plastic basket to hold my lotions, hair goo and clips. These were all things that I had in my house.<br />
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Last stop is the bedroom. I’ve got shoe boxes and a cigar box hanging out in the bedroom. Shoe boxes can come in handy for so many things – tools, photos, recipes, kids’ school or art supplies, or even your shoes. The cigar box is more of a memento to me than anything, but clearly it could be the perfect home for some cigars, otherwise photos or small memorabilia. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiptH7UWFvdVTBA4FUfdqo-FMRXq5U8GLJoTamWsZlEmgAOBs3w3_o9pBo9yLpfJy-EORiAVYX-48LCIuqn_vM6NNxA8gycnp8MtqVUW4oo5tOOLZbKic-TvsVnj2ksYv1mGF6XCuTSZkjS/s1600/organize+at+home+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiptH7UWFvdVTBA4FUfdqo-FMRXq5U8GLJoTamWsZlEmgAOBs3w3_o9pBo9yLpfJy-EORiAVYX-48LCIuqn_vM6NNxA8gycnp8MtqVUW4oo5tOOLZbKic-TvsVnj2ksYv1mGF6XCuTSZkjS/s320/organize+at+home+019.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5qi1n0TxQVop5ymSR79K6PPuN9Ktc8NAtCFt1_0fdomCj1q8cWBV33dBw0BrwXS89UR9XSPDy0kJplwetKnfdurlaN_vQWXXfMHLxQuZG8kghbcttTnVU1AsTtZomauoXKcaw_yp8oKr/s1600/organize+at+home+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5qi1n0TxQVop5ymSR79K6PPuN9Ktc8NAtCFt1_0fdomCj1q8cWBV33dBw0BrwXS89UR9XSPDy0kJplwetKnfdurlaN_vQWXXfMHLxQuZG8kghbcttTnVU1AsTtZomauoXKcaw_yp8oKr/s320/organize+at+home+020.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I hope this inspired you to go fishing in your own home for some creative ideas to keep you organized without spending so much as a penny!<br />
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</span>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153450114033005257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764388518912760168.post-15666828420671043682011-05-02T16:15:00.000-07:002011-05-02T17:00:00.860-07:00Meal and Menu OrganizationWhen you make a grocery list do you do so with a menu in mind for the week? Or do you just spontaneously buy what is fresh or looks good? Do you go once for the whole week or run to the supermarket each day to buy dinner? How do you prepare for a trip to the grocery store? Let me tell you a couple of my secrets for meal, menu and grocery organization.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9Oklf_8MebWI6_V27CxBX7EFQTuKbKjF-3c0M9-mE5N1uSbwIjG2pkVgie6kwc-gIFSG8ISAp-infYKcNx4zM8rwdflhfEldFPRJZT4Su83Jmi4C2ghf-jW56Nzay9P7qwvKiNeCu8cX/s1600/Menu+list.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9Oklf_8MebWI6_V27CxBX7EFQTuKbKjF-3c0M9-mE5N1uSbwIjG2pkVgie6kwc-gIFSG8ISAp-infYKcNx4zM8rwdflhfEldFPRJZT4Su83Jmi4C2ghf-jW56Nzay9P7qwvKiNeCu8cX/s320/Menu+list.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602272314533202274" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />I spend about an hour each Sunday preparing what I am going to cook for the upcoming week. I try to incorporate meals from various cultures and select recipes that will utilize food that I already have in my refrigerator or pantry (money saving tip!). To go with every meal, I try to come up with new ways to prepare vegetables and throw in some bread, pasta or starch every now and then to make the meal more well-rounded. I make every effort to have a vegetarian meal each week and limit the amount of red meat I eat, as well as limit the amount of chicken each week because it can get old quickly. As I am selecting the meals and their accompaniments I mark things on my grocery list that I need. I wouldn’t be able to keep track of all of this if I didn’t have some form of menu organization.<br /><br />My new favorite menu organizer is a member-only feature of <a href="http://www.allrecipes.com">All Recipes</a>, but I’ll give you a sneak peak! Another menu organizer is offered by <a href="http://www.epicurious.com">Epicurious</a>, which I have not yet tried. I have to tell you I was very skeptical about trying All Recipes’ menu planner, but I jumped in with both feet and love it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjadriPpv9gpkQ027MNiFdC8EMSc7yVOhn7lWbFffgGknmBiPMYw0CEnJLLMEMHk4TS1RxBiE2dt3wJfkTFO6i6G1ZwI0XwX2cwWfM2nW8lN0vVaRSjrPMsiywVv7rRjUcQLDrqoHjPnG4o/s1600/Capture.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 174px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjadriPpv9gpkQ027MNiFdC8EMSc7yVOhn7lWbFffgGknmBiPMYw0CEnJLLMEMHk4TS1RxBiE2dt3wJfkTFO6i6G1ZwI0XwX2cwWfM2nW8lN0vVaRSjrPMsiywVv7rRjUcQLDrqoHjPnG4o/s320/Capture.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602272383922653586" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Above is an image from All Recipes of a menu I planned for two days of the week recently. The planner allows you to select various dishes either from the website or you can type in the title and/or ingredients from a recipe you found elsewhere. I get a lot of my recipes and meal ideas from All Recipes, but as mentioned in earlier posts I am subscriber to numerous food magazines and read several food blogs to get inspiration. Oh, and I have a cupboard full of cookbooks. Because my recipes come from a variety of sources I need to keep track of what they are and where they came from so that I can find them again when it comes time to prepare the meal.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCMa_pMauwpJnFvQ2nMqz-DJEQ0wJoOAvzqGJayqhBaJ8V3uO1NogGPaodXyJNEsTcXU9fXABrilGTxqo_Cp0MYPur5bA8iVOdO1PSj_pYXjPgG5JF3h0f0RBfFtxqmPLPo1Ta2X1HTDS/s1600/Capture+2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 285px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCMa_pMauwpJnFvQ2nMqz-DJEQ0wJoOAvzqGJayqhBaJ8V3uO1NogGPaodXyJNEsTcXU9fXABrilGTxqo_Cp0MYPur5bA8iVOdO1PSj_pYXjPgG5JF3h0f0RBfFtxqmPLPo1Ta2X1HTDS/s320/Capture+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602272461689642498" border="0" /></a><br /><br />What I was looking for in a menu planner was something versatile that I could easily access and modify as necessary. Until I started using it, I didn’t think that All Recipes’ Menu Planner was going to be able to offer that. Thankfully, I was wrong. A few of my favorite things about this helpful resource are: for each meal the nutrition facts are calculated per serving which help me make smarter choices (sometimes), all of the ingredients can transfer to an online shopping list and the recipes I have already stored in my online recipe box can be easily accessed and dropped into my menu for the week. Lastly, the menu planner also features pre-created menu/meal ideas for one specific meal or a week of meals, usually based on a common theme, such as BBQ, entertaining, Cinco de Mayo, or $10.00 dinners.<br /><br />Before using the online menu planner feature I simply wrote out my meal ideas on a large sticky note and mounted it in my pantry for extra easy access. Alternately, there are a few cute notepads on the market to aid in menu planning if you’re after something flashier. Another idea if you get your recipes online would just be to print them out and arrange them in a file folder for the week. Be sure to file them away in their home after the week is over, though. Any of these options will work equally well I just wanted to share with you my recent findings and the change I made in the way I organize and keep track of my weekly meals.<br /><br />Bon Apetit!<br /><br />All Recipes has not endorsed this blog post in any way. I happen to be a faithful All Recipes user and hope that you will check out their website for some awesome recipes created by people like you (and me!).<br /></span>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153450114033005257noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764388518912760168.post-79936915868250215592011-03-29T12:56:00.000-07:002011-03-29T13:42:37.941-07:00Organizing on a Budget<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjrc2x4cNXLdI9wtJTa-ltUoeGL9ig_gbnmayqA9b1MmbpHC8WjXrpaCDcRPh_8O8w7x7UJYQfa30vkagOfOzt4nLJ6272wT4zx81IRjW9hP2MHosRxz0Fiia7BXOVl0R96XJs-wJtGUo/s1600/spring_cleaning.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 281px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjrc2x4cNXLdI9wtJTa-ltUoeGL9ig_gbnmayqA9b1MmbpHC8WjXrpaCDcRPh_8O8w7x7UJYQfa30vkagOfOzt4nLJ6272wT4zx81IRjW9hP2MHosRxz0Fiia7BXOVl0R96XJs-wJtGUo/s320/spring_cleaning.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589604697202787250" border="0" /></a><br />While the current economic state is still in recovery mode, I am in spring cleaning mode, so I thought that I'd put together a melange of options and ideas for organizing on a budget this spring. It is completely possible with some creativity and time!<br /><br /><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Let's start with the kitchen since that's where I started my spring cleaning this year.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen?productId=10023938&N=6+1000040">Stackable Bamboo Organizers</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTe_BkeP6M2kxOgW5r3pVgQ4Y_TioXBDLY-nokHqGD45bD9pwljTRaqQnNX2IerRC0DZepilE_ItVGQTd6mDbuFRJxMAHOhDrtqMHKXuDgTbiHWxCHiUTYiizUrkbde3hzCavXYkRd81_5/s1600/StackBambooDrawerOrganizers_l.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 260px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTe_BkeP6M2kxOgW5r3pVgQ4Y_TioXBDLY-nokHqGD45bD9pwljTRaqQnNX2IerRC0DZepilE_ItVGQTd6mDbuFRJxMAHOhDrtqMHKXuDgTbiHWxCHiUTYiizUrkbde3hzCavXYkRd81_5/s320/StackBambooDrawerOrganizers_l.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589596326803346594" border="0" /></a><br /><br />These are perfect for silverware, utensils or even your junk drawer or office drawer. As low as $2.99 at The Container Store - wow!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen?productId=10018231&N=6+1000040">Mesh Packet Holder</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWnVZHxaQhWxOlI8dw4LvOJvaccb4Or3Ja01YJiTdhieS2DAyZbxYOuZKMrupi3OmOURerdQwLlWnpTQ0k09n9a7-PNN12epv1AIy22KJT20nOVI5-ihKuf8umIlBmYKJgvG9aj6Q9kj3a/s1600/SlvrMshPcktHldr_l.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 260px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWnVZHxaQhWxOlI8dw4LvOJvaccb4Or3Ja01YJiTdhieS2DAyZbxYOuZKMrupi3OmOURerdQwLlWnpTQ0k09n9a7-PNN12epv1AIy22KJT20nOVI5-ihKuf8umIlBmYKJgvG9aj6Q9kj3a/s320/SlvrMshPcktHldr_l.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589596894108337250" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I have to admit, here, that I had never seen this before! I love this idea and really think I'm going to get one of these. We all have single packets of this that and 12 other things in our pantry, but this is an excellent idea on keeping them together and organized. Nice job Container Store.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen?productId=10018252&N=6+1000040"><br />Silver Mesh Storage Bin</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9_mR9qQEveg4Kvk-ApcmZLG5wa9AEhpcF6VeBD8WnAUL_5SsMxrlzarXu09ylZEKWSISnRpDItnJIpOWnn0IAaV8keObPovftx2ti8dz2aU0PApyIPVZb84YZm0kJwMjFjky6DSA5zywV/s1600/SlvrMshStrgBn_l.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 260px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9_mR9qQEveg4Kvk-ApcmZLG5wa9AEhpcF6VeBD8WnAUL_5SsMxrlzarXu09ylZEKWSISnRpDItnJIpOWnn0IAaV8keObPovftx2ti8dz2aU0PApyIPVZb84YZm0kJwMjFjky6DSA5zywV/s320/SlvrMshStrgBn_l.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589597111371063458" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span><span>If only I had more of these! I've got a mesh storage bin like this in my pantry where I keep coupons, pens, pencils and post-it notes.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><a href="http://www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen?productId=10016995&N=6+1000040">Cupboard Shelf</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQ4RyaL9TYUn8PfUqtgZCO6vK1qntuTDjIJAxaR-67pubACeqat7NA07DLDtunlxGeQ3QNa1BJMYDwiX3954hyMG6J6uwoNSFQPbhdGNNgOVOcbwoUo1W1CRBlLWLlyuxvKD61Tqe5UYA/s1600/ChromeDinnerPlateShelf_l.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 260px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQ4RyaL9TYUn8PfUqtgZCO6vK1qntuTDjIJAxaR-67pubACeqat7NA07DLDtunlxGeQ3QNa1BJMYDwiX3954hyMG6J6uwoNSFQPbhdGNNgOVOcbwoUo1W1CRBlLWLlyuxvKD61Tqe5UYA/s320/ChromeDinnerPlateShelf_l.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589597496263505266" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span><span>I have a couple wire shelves that I stick in my cupboards for extra elevated storage. They are wonderful! The best ones I have are in my bathroom cupboard and under the sink - they maximize space and promote the ease in finding your stuff.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><a href="http://www.crateandbarrel.com/organizing-and-storage/utility-storage/cabinet-organizer/s675574">Cabinet Organizers</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fUGs1yzTN76EbZxI1Eyoo9WeY4zcfqsWLHTGlTCoZ1qt7lo8IEdQdp35xkvePu2coXIwkOF-3atB6fUkGuHQiAY375hqnnTxcf-GgAVoZwDv5GlR3zpp-7yUuI_1RKnESQUOcahYJPZn/s1600/CabinetOrganizer10inLLOT10.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fUGs1yzTN76EbZxI1Eyoo9WeY4zcfqsWLHTGlTCoZ1qt7lo8IEdQdp35xkvePu2coXIwkOF-3atB6fUkGuHQiAY375hqnnTxcf-GgAVoZwDv5GlR3zpp-7yUuI_1RKnESQUOcahYJPZn/s320/CabinetOrganizer10inLLOT10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589598685673159826" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span><span>If you have as many spices as I do - this is a great organizational tool for being able to find spices in the back of the cabinet.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><a href="http://www.crateandbarrel.com/organizing-and-storage/food-storage/spice-jar/s264431">Spice Jars</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVffuS3zxgNjjS7DGUVZTRBg0UspSD_vRcUM9J2jdxnoTygDNmrG-Cxw-9skfci-t8VT2TxiQ7YU7jkY0azvw-RkO5u6lxyK4tWVUBKwvyLGxrsqWNetp9CFrWhTtBLVVzGORwIyol6pHa/s1600/ReplacementSpiceJarF7.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVffuS3zxgNjjS7DGUVZTRBg0UspSD_vRcUM9J2jdxnoTygDNmrG-Cxw-9skfci-t8VT2TxiQ7YU7jkY0azvw-RkO5u6lxyK4tWVUBKwvyLGxrsqWNetp9CFrWhTtBLVVzGORwIyol6pHa/s320/ReplacementSpiceJarF7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589597936355560290" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span><br />I love the idea of transferring store-bought spices into cute individual jars. These are adorable. And totally multi-functioning - you could use this easily as a multi-tasker.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><a href="http://www.crateandbarrel.com/organizing-and-storage/pot-racks/bamboo-ceiling-pot-rack/s126330">Ceiling Pot Rack<br /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNn2iw3MUY34rq1vh_HCd1gCDezGk_yfUOOqGvV-BlAngb6lHZtceAEeUsGbnA8hEUNeyPz6w94mHgbVBHVEGn2ZV7ecAgm0u43knz0m8-hW5xLMXcQb-b3hyphenhyphenF_Jr7jwdboB6UrzR3ryAq/s1600/BambooBarCeilingPotRackF7.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNn2iw3MUY34rq1vh_HCd1gCDezGk_yfUOOqGvV-BlAngb6lHZtceAEeUsGbnA8hEUNeyPz6w94mHgbVBHVEGn2ZV7ecAgm0u43knz0m8-hW5xLMXcQb-b3hyphenhyphenF_Jr7jwdboB6UrzR3ryAq/s320/BambooBarCeilingPotRackF7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589598362754927970" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span><span>This is a fantastic space-saving idea if you have an excess of pots & pans and not much extra storage space to give.<br /><br />Let's move to closet and storage organization.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><a href="http://www.containerstore.com/shop/closet/overdoorStorage?productId=10029301&N=62193+1000040">Over the door hooks<br /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg3uBXJQvTKH7c7KkmGDllhrVTTkgM1yxSejKWnnmiWoWeJ47_KtWC6HAP5DcDaiXhrggVR1ASQhT6YK-KxcbgZIX5mZS4T7FbQZ44WREZyNJLutdTpfQDKnBer3hLAELMrDvbGyCBXb4r/s1600/HuggableOverdoorHooks_l.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 260px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg3uBXJQvTKH7c7KkmGDllhrVTTkgM1yxSejKWnnmiWoWeJ47_KtWC6HAP5DcDaiXhrggVR1ASQhT6YK-KxcbgZIX5mZS4T7FbQZ44WREZyNJLutdTpfQDKnBer3hLAELMrDvbGyCBXb4r/s320/HuggableOverdoorHooks_l.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589599184984601218" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span><span>These are a wonderful space saving option for bathrooms, closets, storage rooms and kids play rooms. $2.99 from The Container Store is a great steal!</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><a href="http://www.crateandbarrel.com/organizing-and-storage/closet/blue-over-the-door-shoe-bag/s160639">Over-the-door shoe organizers</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglCo2T17NeV5tG0rq1TIk76eA2wVGecw8e1Q9tOlVJ1ioyvGhMJmnUeFnj3hHrBB-kujtbtM9lxaBJgHKFTagz8wibynd2ojvK9jGOJcGjKjt-5ZYNkgsdNJZK137scZ2t1nyq6GS7agGs/s1600/OverTheDoorShoeBagBluLLOT11.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglCo2T17NeV5tG0rq1TIk76eA2wVGecw8e1Q9tOlVJ1ioyvGhMJmnUeFnj3hHrBB-kujtbtM9lxaBJgHKFTagz8wibynd2ojvK9jGOJcGjKjt-5ZYNkgsdNJZK137scZ2t1nyq6GS7agGs/s320/OverTheDoorShoeBagBluLLOT11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589599521905200114" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span><span>There are tons of options for over-the-door shoe organization currently on the market. Here is Crate & Barrel's take.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><a href="http://www.crateandbarrel.com/organizing-and-storage/closet/expandable-shoe-rack/s566155">Shoe Storage<br /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijJhoZkI8s-2pXg1DYhZzeRdBjFglaZ82OoQlZFs9q0nSaw7JSpgjGVkYwy9YiT9yrXW2tTG_xRfdKgd7rYTg-iiWDLKvv5ZkCc7LwAQD9O4fX2GZqbirM_WKbHZPKxsDkgsA7qU30c-u/s1600/ExtendableShoeRackLLOT9.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijJhoZkI8s-2pXg1DYhZzeRdBjFglaZ82OoQlZFs9q0nSaw7JSpgjGVkYwy9YiT9yrXW2tTG_xRfdKgd7rYTg-iiWDLKvv5ZkCc7LwAQD9O4fX2GZqbirM_WKbHZPKxsDkgsA7qU30c-u/s320/ExtendableShoeRackLLOT9.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589600332972576450" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span><span>Keeping your shoes off the floor allows for a clutter-free closet. This is a great solution to storing your shoes on the floor.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.crateandbarrel.com/organizing-and-storage/storage-baskets-bins/teal-sweater-bag-drawer/s160842">Sweater Bag Drawer</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUOvRJvJc8GV3dGGw1GD_YUkKROdQll04Id0IccSUeoqmlHXVTqA6AhfKJfNl3zKERLEL2DteNigPtiFJtR-XukWurczAj-M-WPNKGWIHAba_LmbUp5Et2tiszOtDEueJPq3zGdhzAxMG/s1600/SweaterBagDrawerTealOT11.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUOvRJvJc8GV3dGGw1GD_YUkKROdQll04Id0IccSUeoqmlHXVTqA6AhfKJfNl3zKERLEL2DteNigPtiFJtR-XukWurczAj-M-WPNKGWIHAba_LmbUp5Et2tiszOtDEueJPq3zGdhzAxMG/s320/SweaterBagDrawerTealOT11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589599864833996370" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span><span>Don't have enough room in your closet for your winter and summer clothes? That's ok - grab a few sweater bags or containers and slide them under your bed with your seasonal apparel.<br /><br /></span></span><br />The Container Store is currently in Spring Organizational Sale mode - click <a href="http://www.containerstore.com/locations/index.html">here</a> to find the closet location to you.<br /><span class="fullpost"><span><br />I happen to enjoy Crate & Barrel and The Container Store; neither company knows who I am or is in any way affiliated to Organized Ali. I write about products I use or would like to use.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span></span>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153450114033005257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764388518912760168.post-10047565809719993092011-03-29T12:50:00.000-07:002011-03-29T12:54:23.533-07:00Craft Room OrganizationHere is a great organizational blog post from my friends at Etsy. Check it out <a href="http://blog.ecoetsy.com/2011/01/bus-tips-lori-keeping-it-all-organized/html">here</a>. Because Etsy is an artsy craftsy website, the article provides inspiring ideas for craft and scrapbook room and inventory organization. Love.Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153450114033005257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764388518912760168.post-32891220062232228582011-03-21T13:05:00.000-07:002011-03-21T13:30:42.036-07:00Happy Spring... Cleaning!Spring is finally here! I know much of the nation has had a very rough winter and is thrilled at the sight of spring. Now that it is officially here, it's time to jump into spring cleaning! Well, in my house it is anyway. I know that spring cleaning is a daunting task for anyone, myself included. It's really not that much fun to spend hours or days inside cleaning the house. I like to break up my spring cleaning tasks so that it doesn't feel quite so overwhelming.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnidsx8qVwh78Dr7NpENXjElIKl4Z4pP0fzBPKtngPsnYCQ0hlf1f4sZdk8cJJzuvV6b51cd5uOlT9nuQRXFAH5apnRowLy9eRNGlljZbwiin5EzW-qGdZpnE9PFVaJMECQ0rcaPm2lD9/s1600/232323232%25257Ffp53655%2529nu%253D3263%2529%253B9+%2529872%2529WSNRCG%253D324%253B36%253B73332%2528nu0mrj.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnidsx8qVwh78Dr7NpENXjElIKl4Z4pP0fzBPKtngPsnYCQ0hlf1f4sZdk8cJJzuvV6b51cd5uOlT9nuQRXFAH5apnRowLy9eRNGlljZbwiin5EzW-qGdZpnE9PFVaJMECQ0rcaPm2lD9/s320/232323232%25257Ffp53655%2529nu%253D3263%2529%253B9+%2529872%2529WSNRCG%253D324%253B36%253B73332%2528nu0mrj.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586632123992653138" /></a><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Yesterday I marked the start of spring by tackling most of my kitchen. Sometime this week I plan on scrubbing my bathroom until it shines. Other spring cleaning tasks will just have to wait until April.<br /><br />If you're one of those people who is too busy to even think about spring cleaning but knows it needs to happen, I have some tips for you on how to do just that:<br /><br />*Start by making a list of what needs to be cleaned in your house - if you've got a really long list, as most people do, break it down by room or section of your house.<br /><br />*Choose the one room or project that is of the highest importance and continue to rank order your list of tasks until it is prioritized.<br /><br />*Now it's time to take a close look at your #1 priority and break that down into specific tasks. For example, in my kitchen I made a specific "to do list" so that I could cross off the little things I did instead of having to clean out the entire kitchen all at once.<br /><br />Kitchen:<br />-Wipe out refrigerator<br />-Wipe out freezer<br />-Clean cabinet faces<br />-Wipe down pantry shelves, clean out<br />-Scrub oven inside<br />-Wipe out oven drawer<br />-Detail appliances<br />-Complete recipe organization<br /><br />*Once you have come up with your specific task lists for each room or area in your house it's time to dedicate some time to accomplishing these tasks. I think it's perfectly acceptable to spend all spring getting this stuff done because, well, it's no fun and it's a lot of work. If you're one of those people who'd prefer to get everything done in a weekend - fine, clean your heart out! <br /><br />*I like allocating part of a day most weekends to spend time knocking out tasks, plus I can usually afford to sacrifice one night each week to get some stuff done at home. After all, it's lighter out now and I usually have more motivation to be productive when I can see daylight.<br /><br />*Don't forget about adding projects that you've been putting off to your spring cleaning list. Some of mine are: hanging art on the walls, vacuum cobwebs/clean out unfinished portion of my basement, and clean the car! <br /></span>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153450114033005257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764388518912760168.post-49924684645598567692011-02-06T17:17:00.000-08:002011-02-06T17:45:15.430-08:00Organizing using Microsoft OneNoteI have found my new favorite computer program. Microsoft OneNote. Have you heard of OneNote? No, you say? You’re in luck: if you have Microsoft Office 2003 or later, I believe you will have OneNote.<br /><br />What in the world is OneNote, you ask?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs9IpBkNk7f2ggl0oevzMsOuGZAWKSkXmiPmVUpa1R3joq_EaN_7Z7TaAO86e4J4wxeuNvXI3BrP2kRVJe39zDA08iRiO9zOblHjizLeCzzxcujb3iqMOtbUHQ9jeslbKz_xnnLwr3OkfY/s1600/onenote-2010-icon.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs9IpBkNk7f2ggl0oevzMsOuGZAWKSkXmiPmVUpa1R3joq_EaN_7Z7TaAO86e4J4wxeuNvXI3BrP2kRVJe39zDA08iRiO9zOblHjizLeCzzxcujb3iqMOtbUHQ9jeslbKz_xnnLwr3OkfY/s320/onenote-2010-icon.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570751914238503858" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />It is like having a notebook on your computer that you can do anything you would do with a regular old notebook or piece of paper.<br /><br />Here are some things I have come up with where you could use OneNote:<br /><br />*Taking notes in class<br />*Writing notes from a meeting at work<br />*Making a to-do list<br />*Creating a shopping list<br />*Managing a project<br />*Minimizing paperwork/messy buildup<br />*Maximizing productivity for work and school by connecting OneNote projects with Outlook (!!!!)<br /><br />What makes OneNote so special?<br /><br />If you're familiar with Microsoft Word, you'll probably find a lot of similarities to OneNote; however, there are a lot of things that you can do on OneNote that you can't do on Word. The most important being linking your OneNote notes or lists to your Outlook. If you create a to-do list on OneNote you can link it to your task list on Outlook with the click of a button. Better yet, you can pin a "side note" to your desktop to remind you of something that needs doing.<br /><br />For those of you who are doodlers, getting bored in class can now be spent doodling in the margins of your electronic notebook just as you would if you were using a piece of paper. Drawings or mathematical formulas can be turned into text or a computer generated symbol.<br /><br />Best of all: OneNote reduces clutter and saves time by eliminating the use of paper. I don't know about you, but I would much rather sort through a well-organized folder on my desktop than page through a spiral-bound notebook trying to find a to-do list or my notes from Biology 101. You can use OneNote on your PC or on your smartphone. I have not downloaded the app yet, but plan to do so!<br /><br />My Current OneNote Project:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzakDyw25fDGAeTXvTZ8HUe-7VRRsscmFQp41q9XgrjMPl8oOQO7bbHKypmaMy1XTbudbs3OgT22xzGQqfst86AvSq_lUam2eJFxu6I5ka_1t6SjBMTrNw2A9mNiziZF8YA4O3a9DL1bVu/s1600/OneNote+Example.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 295px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzakDyw25fDGAeTXvTZ8HUe-7VRRsscmFQp41q9XgrjMPl8oOQO7bbHKypmaMy1XTbudbs3OgT22xzGQqfst86AvSq_lUam2eJFxu6I5ka_1t6SjBMTrNw2A9mNiziZF8YA4O3a9DL1bVu/s320/OneNote+Example.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570755486873336482" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I am preparing to embark on some new housing projects, mostly filling my house with furniture, adding some organizational features to a couple closets and work on making our outdoor space amazing so we can enjoy every moment of the sunny Seattle summers (I think we’re on day 143 of rain right now). I decided to use OneNote to help organize some of my thoughts and ideas.<br /><br />By using OneNote I was able to create a page for each room or space that we’re looking at making changes to. Each page lists the items we are planning to purchase or the projects that need to be done. Because of how OneNote allows you to make notes like it’s a piece of paper I can copy and paste pictures, images or swatches to help me keep track of different options. With things like our “Major Projects” I can keep track of bids and estimates we get, as well as the contractors and their contact information. I can highlight different items to note their priority status. I can check things off when I purchase them or complete a task (or I can cross it off).<br /><br />So far I am really enjoying OneNote. I plan to utilize this program to be more organized at work by linking notes/to-do lists to my Outlook. I haven’t gotten this far yet, but I can tell you I am really looking forward to it. I think that OneNote and Outlook are the two best organizational features you can have on your computer.<br /><br />For more information about OneNote, check out these websites:<br /><br /><a href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote-help/demo-what-is-onenote-HA010168634.aspx">Demo of OneNote</a><br /><br /><a href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote/">Download a trial</a><br /><br />More to come next time: Windows Live SkyDrive and why it deserves a gold star.<br /><br />Microsoft Corporation has no idea who I am. I am only writing about their products because I use them and love them. Microsoft is no way a sponsor of this blog.<br /><br /></span>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153450114033005257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764388518912760168.post-76091070382613090522011-01-28T13:35:00.000-08:002011-01-28T13:38:22.579-08:00Glass Food Storage ContainersAmerica's Test Kitchen just posted a review of glass food storage containers. Last summer I made the switch from plastic reusable containers to glass, due to the hype about microwaving plastic. I really like using glass containers and feel that they will last much, much, much longer than plastic ones.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNkHIh3K8ObaLbP10MyiiWT9N4akZvAf_MIkoMFHzP2WY0gqsfFflWUOWaUCsXyIruSTaEFQVTTxl-4-OVqi8dyxYZuwAgipjtB5hcDI1Hg4Rqayj6aHBQOOUSmckbyHNUVJ7b4E_a7hH/s1600/Pyrex.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNkHIh3K8ObaLbP10MyiiWT9N4akZvAf_MIkoMFHzP2WY0gqsfFflWUOWaUCsXyIruSTaEFQVTTxl-4-OVqi8dyxYZuwAgipjtB5hcDI1Hg4Rqayj6aHBQOOUSmckbyHNUVJ7b4E_a7hH/s320/Pyrex.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567353909984925714" /></a><br /><span class="fullpost"><br /><br />Click <a href="http://www.cooksillustrated.com/equipment/results.asp?docid=24775"></a> for the review from the experts.<br /><br />I use Pyrex glass containers and really like them! I purchased 2 sets of 3 various size bowls, as well as a set of rectangular storage containers. One thing I like about the bowls is that it's great for portion control because it lists the number of cups that it can hold.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2E2Cbkb7s9aDiDlqGta8aLmq8wsfjJsoEXyy00I8TteNsam1c0azbT9HA5CVMbpdxKX1HBTB8dc2qok4Lf999wgMHxkdkKiy7LnS4Mqy8VJJd9QdHLl5JMt0tFc4B9fjU2Gpw03GlPgP0/s1600/pyrex+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 125px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2E2Cbkb7s9aDiDlqGta8aLmq8wsfjJsoEXyy00I8TteNsam1c0azbT9HA5CVMbpdxKX1HBTB8dc2qok4Lf999wgMHxkdkKiy7LnS4Mqy8VJJd9QdHLl5JMt0tFc4B9fjU2Gpw03GlPgP0/s320/pyrex+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567353815145544706" /></a><br /><br />The rectangular containers are terrific for sandwiches.<br /><br />Of course, all of these containers can be used for other things than bringing your lunch to work or school. Keeping paperclips and office supplies or storing bobby pins and hair binders are the first things that come to mind on how to make these multi-taskers.<br /><br /><br /></span>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153450114033005257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764388518912760168.post-32491088621467056952011-01-15T13:24:00.000-08:002011-01-15T13:31:22.802-08:00Recipe OrganizationThe need for a recipe organization makeover comes with a love of cooking. Pursuant to a conversation I had with a friend, Nora, over the holidays, I decided to revamp my need to maintain organization with all of my “loose” recipes. I have my fair share of cookbooks, which require little effort to keep organized, but where the challenge lies is the recipes I print off the internet and the recipes I rip out of my many cooking magazine subscriptions.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJge-FdrWX8F3zl7wszF4cagQZtJple56_jpnTiUg2FhygEhtTObCIlbQasQ9nmU664uBE1aRgGLncVfaB5URzFeu6Pvp0te0MBGmJf9PDyj_Uwg1cKhm80uSzoyAYShQyRu-yTmMGkIp/s1600/winter+2010-11+009.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJge-FdrWX8F3zl7wszF4cagQZtJple56_jpnTiUg2FhygEhtTObCIlbQasQ9nmU664uBE1aRgGLncVfaB5URzFeu6Pvp0te0MBGmJf9PDyj_Uwg1cKhm80uSzoyAYShQyRu-yTmMGkIp/s320/winter+2010-11+009.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562527157736921890" /></a><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />I was able to house my loose recipes in file folders until I filled two to capacity and couldn’t find anything. If you only have a few favorite recipes, this could work well for you; however, those of you who see a picture of something delicious and decide to rip it out of the Food Network Magazine like I do… well, you need something bigger and better to stay sane and also to save time.<br /><br />One of the problems I had with keeping all of my recipes in file folders was that I would have to sort through hundreds of recipes just to find something to eat for dinner or to find a favorite recipe that I wanted to try again. No fun that is. So I picked a beautiful rainy evening (living in Seattle, I have had many to choose from!) and went through all of the recipes about four times trying to consolidate and weed out the recipes I just knew I would never ever try. You’d be surprised how many I got rid of!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieKX5nX8d29_skW2iX1pJ-dGJSQXyI4lBmsGMBV9zr4EA6QYru_tF8SdBTYmhWHtCbuaj4mOSsQD_citJuda7rlh0P3qzoR_tbRlsGMWgduwzqASVlATxzrnLwJVIC1MkhVU0SgYWwLyIN/s1600/winter+2010-11+010.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieKX5nX8d29_skW2iX1pJ-dGJSQXyI4lBmsGMBV9zr4EA6QYru_tF8SdBTYmhWHtCbuaj4mOSsQD_citJuda7rlh0P3qzoR_tbRlsGMWgduwzqASVlATxzrnLwJVIC1MkhVU0SgYWwLyIN/s320/winter+2010-11+010.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562527466103462530" /></a><br /><br />Then….. I came up with several categories and sorted recipes based on categories, including: baking, breads, meat, chicken, fish, brunch, sandwiches, slow cookers, sauces, soups, salads, beverages, holiday, ethnic, pasta, etc. After categorizing the recipes I went out and found a recipe organization book on Amazon.com. It took me quite a while to narrow down which book to buy; my selection was based mostly on the categories on the dividing tabs that it came with. I chose a C.R. Gibson recipe organizer; C.R. Gibson makes a lot of different recipe organization paraphernalia you might be interested in. I’d recommend browsing Amazon to find a wide variety. There are certainly plenty to choose from! Be advised that these binders don’t come with too terribly many sheet protectors, so you may want to run out and get a pack of them. I quickly ran out!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNNw4SfSKa3E7tgaQf9YEEUZe5FKYTjIO_T1LJPMiCGUe5au7SDl8Ea72jV2IbybgMcSP00YBjr8Ez6OYEj01shWq39SMEBLl9hK9R3N_qAvx6tnRCNRVhcocWPzaCIigdSsi0EgUXhwu/s1600/winter+2010-11+007.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNNw4SfSKa3E7tgaQf9YEEUZe5FKYTjIO_T1LJPMiCGUe5au7SDl8Ea72jV2IbybgMcSP00YBjr8Ez6OYEj01shWq39SMEBLl9hK9R3N_qAvx6tnRCNRVhcocWPzaCIigdSsi0EgUXhwu/s320/winter+2010-11+007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562527314004217714" /></a><br /><br />Aside from the greatness in organization, one of my favorite parts of the new recipe binder is that all of my recipes are kept in sheet protectors, which allows me to wipe off all of the cooking remnants after I’m done with the recipe. I can always tell what recipes I’ve tried before because they have been destroyed.<br /><br />Another organizational tool I employ for my recipes is for the 3x5” notecard size recipes I print from the internet. Mostly these are from www.allrecipes.com, a personal favorite site of mine (I keep an online recipe box here, too!). I keep these in a little notecard box that I used to use for school, I think. There are some great notecard boxes on the market that will fit 3x5 or 4x6” recipe cards. I like this idea, too, because it’s alphabetized. I usually remember the name of the recipe that I am looking for if I liked it, so I can find it pretty quickly; but regardless of the recipe’s name, I keep all chicken in the “c” and all pasta in the “p” instead of having, say, “Anniversary Chicken” in the “a” category or “Lemon Pasta” in the “l” category. I just think that’s easier to keep track of everything.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOMsIOFtPBi9s80pRM4HAhrgHV7aP4WBzviMbs8SNC3ZHy-707UaXEccRtkmT22as70ziShwievv4db098wIFR3d4YrHHVun1NduhFy3FfEH_KJZpqBllRLG9kmXeegOTU2JUekRgtqT2/s1600/winter+2010-11+020.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOMsIOFtPBi9s80pRM4HAhrgHV7aP4WBzviMbs8SNC3ZHy-707UaXEccRtkmT22as70ziShwievv4db098wIFR3d4YrHHVun1NduhFy3FfEH_KJZpqBllRLG9kmXeegOTU2JUekRgtqT2/s320/winter+2010-11+020.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562527619351293250" /></a><br /><br />I have to tell you, though, my dream kitchen would include a touch-screen computer in my that pops down from under the cabinet and magically stores all of my recipes and allows me to view online recipe collections for easy kitchen access. I have a feeling I’ll be dreaming for a while. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVShEeXkpre5owBp-HWpOjR9CFhicr1Gzck_BUJvRiUqOTgQQKXbEfsnZtapkg9Gm7LRjyNSGGiVz5IU7EWo_ohiCBiynS8FChc70EZnGX5OJtSbrPOFIrcuCpVr95v8SG_SfzYI8qcbV/s1600/winter+2010-11+011.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVShEeXkpre5owBp-HWpOjR9CFhicr1Gzck_BUJvRiUqOTgQQKXbEfsnZtapkg9Gm7LRjyNSGGiVz5IU7EWo_ohiCBiynS8FChc70EZnGX5OJtSbrPOFIrcuCpVr95v8SG_SfzYI8qcbV/s320/winter+2010-11+011.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562527776876169234" /></a><br /><br />P.S. – you may be wondering how I keep this system up! That is a “resolution” for me this year. I have subscriptions to three (or more?) food magazines. I have formed some new habits around ripping recipes out of these magazines, due to the fact that with all of the recipes in my house I would need to try a new recipe every day at every meal time for about 900 years in order to actually try something, so I am only allowing myself to rip out a recipe if I am really going to make it. I do look through the ingredients and determine if that’s something I’m even remotely interested in, and if so, then it comes out and goes into a file folder. Yes, a file folder. Also, I should note, after I page through each magazine and determine what I'm going to use, I recycle the magazine, so as to avoid messy buildup. Well, actually, I keep my Cooks Illustrated magazines, but only because every page is filled with delicious goodness and fantastic tips.<br /><br />From that point, I plan my weekly menus around new recipes. Err, I try to, anyway. If I try the recipe and enjoy it, it goes in my recipe binder, if not, it goes to the curb. So far this is working for me, but I have a lot of new recipes to try and a very, very excellent new cookbook from friend Nora that I am ecstatic about (Williams-Sonoma’s Cooking at Home)…. Off to the kitchen I go!<br /></span>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153450114033005257noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764388518912760168.post-67584090066218187512011-01-05T09:37:00.000-08:002011-01-05T09:47:39.248-08:002011... A Year of OrganizingHappy New Year!<br /><br />I don't really do the whole "resolutions" thing at new years, more like a "wish" or a "goal" for me. You better believe I have some serious organizing goals and wishes for this great new year. I will share how and when they become accomplishments as we continue through what I hope to be a great year.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4df8ozMziCNxlKhdCG7R01dzGoZgA_yFs2B46dTwWSkQPJQVdc7B2jBwA511G9Y5ltehrkG_OnXwacdKtPCLkh_ibiRy9vYDpE-USY3JdL9oQJ3i23VanrADbg5MuEpncXVegAwtOYERe/s1600/mountain_reflection_lake.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4df8ozMziCNxlKhdCG7R01dzGoZgA_yFs2B46dTwWSkQPJQVdc7B2jBwA511G9Y5ltehrkG_OnXwacdKtPCLkh_ibiRy9vYDpE-USY3JdL9oQJ3i23VanrADbg5MuEpncXVegAwtOYERe/s320/mountain_reflection_lake.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558759894065586354" /></a><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />I'd really, really, really like to get my recipes under control. I cook a lot, therefore I have at least a million recipes in my kitchen. This is a great project for rainy Seattle winter evenings.<br /><br />File cabinets for my files would be a great goal to strive for this year.<br /><br />A place to put the mail that isn't on my kitchen counter is something I'm hoping will come very, very soon! Nobody likes clutter or bills in the kitchen. That's supposed to be the happiest place in the house.<br /><br />My home office could use some attention and love and de-cluttering.<br /><br />I'd like to figure out how to use Google apps to its fullest potential. Google/"G" anything and I are not the best of friends. I am an Outlook/Microsoft girl all the way. <br /><br />Lastly, I resolve to write on this here blog more! Stay tuned.<br /></span>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153450114033005257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764388518912760168.post-38485862711685226712010-12-06T17:07:00.000-08:002010-12-07T18:39:21.567-08:00Great Organizational Christmas Gift IdeasAnyone shopping for me this holiday can feel free to send some of these things my way! With the holidays in full-swing I figured I would share some gift ideas with an organizational touch. These are great for anyone. Anyone and everyone can always use things to keep them more organized, including me! Happy shopping! :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4oceyOKbYBly3Bwns0_-YBCQ6ypcC6XkLzYr2Eli3_7bEI2XXUP1Gsntp3sEY5pU2oX2b1m8op6dAZgNMbtPM2nGuX3Y9JhUkpssDrI2XHI7_Suzn6FadSWEiMOub0wdpwJ74iK4Kq8U/s1600/stocking.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 319px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4oceyOKbYBly3Bwns0_-YBCQ6ypcC6XkLzYr2Eli3_7bEI2XXUP1Gsntp3sEY5pU2oX2b1m8op6dAZgNMbtPM2nGuX3Y9JhUkpssDrI2XHI7_Suzn6FadSWEiMOub0wdpwJ74iK4Kq8U/s320/stocking.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548134766013613506" /></a><br /><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Snapfish.com is one of my favorite websites. There are several fantastic organizational gifts that I would recommend here. For starters, I love their notebooks that you can create a personalized cover with any photo that you upload to your account; otherwise, there are a variety of calendars and notepads that make great organizational gifts too.<br /><br />Post-it notes are perfect stocking stuffers! I love the idea of a great multi-pack of Post-its. <br /><br />2011 Calendars - hello - everyone needs a calendar or two!<br /><br />Oh boy... these next two could be a new favorite for me, Miss Menu Planner. This What To Eat and Planning the Menu pads from our friends at www.knockknock.biz is a great find.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrWRyiAcQ9R0HwFc6RmUEt7vIadh5cJgIg9lunsUoggQS-pev-o81meVZEky7u1IgcrCRljAy7XCA_pevo3OaymSZOWbHAJ8gkUtyzjPSa3Tqo7XRWqdQADITgO6my4PEZcCN9w1nQSBQ/s1600/12018_What-to-Eat_.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrWRyiAcQ9R0HwFc6RmUEt7vIadh5cJgIg9lunsUoggQS-pev-o81meVZEky7u1IgcrCRljAy7XCA_pevo3OaymSZOWbHAJ8gkUtyzjPSa3Tqo7XRWqdQADITgO6my4PEZcCN9w1nQSBQ/s320/12018_What-to-Eat_.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548123518729375410" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXZSseIYMvQEnNSYJ98um8V7HBLuCUIoZ-4t1An7Fgkzk06f7_KYCgclFmjxLbHvE03eGNl88gAfZlvP1AGtP2JoFp9g6Evw0BeXUkrGCUDjNSxAsm4ztqLKV2sd21TT6b9X4PWOq6vUlF/s1600/12205_PlanningMenu_.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXZSseIYMvQEnNSYJ98um8V7HBLuCUIoZ-4t1An7Fgkzk06f7_KYCgclFmjxLbHvE03eGNl88gAfZlvP1AGtP2JoFp9g6Evw0BeXUkrGCUDjNSxAsm4ztqLKV2sd21TT6b9X4PWOq6vUlF/s320/12205_PlanningMenu_.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548124042720545938" /></a><br /><br />Beautiful Vineyard Baskets from Pottery Barn<br /><a href="http://www.potterybarn.com/products/vineyard-storage-baskets/?pkey=call-storage-organization"></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFJDa4ca3QWfHCtkgCzNeUAiksz5molfemG-5EzR6qQ5G4gQRjFSzivvxxKEgIV6_-nzYOFhGLCa534yRW6faIHWophbEBnjZ1fWzrDE-dZELagHBL0_JuwwzDa9XDu6MXxW3piaxEXWr/s1600/GlassCanistersS10.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFJDa4ca3QWfHCtkgCzNeUAiksz5molfemG-5EzR6qQ5G4gQRjFSzivvxxKEgIV6_-nzYOFhGLCa534yRW6faIHWophbEBnjZ1fWzrDE-dZELagHBL0_JuwwzDa9XDu6MXxW3piaxEXWr/s320/GlassCanistersS10.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547741514670064114" /></a><br /><br />Is it weird that I am suggesting Glass Canisters from Crate & Barrel for a Christmas gift?<br />http://www.crateandbarrel.com/organizing-and-storage/food-storage/glass-canisters/f37054<br /><br />No?<br /><br />Well, what about OXO Pop Containers, also from Crate & Barrel?<br />http://www.crateandbarrel.com/organizing-and-storage/food-storage/oxo-pop-containers/f27738<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUdteQqiO6tmnSYWgMylQODGsEfV7R34ZbYUq61FJl0c91ny_xhAxyg0DDwbpe3Gioz5R6gNhu9F5gQYQEavPQq19M67Q5BA_jNDB_4P1eW7pq9iBdCLY2JIi6eS1CMyIR_dza5PoLEHUA/s1600/PopContainersF10.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUdteQqiO6tmnSYWgMylQODGsEfV7R34ZbYUq61FJl0c91ny_xhAxyg0DDwbpe3Gioz5R6gNhu9F5gQYQEavPQq19M67Q5BA_jNDB_4P1eW7pq9iBdCLY2JIi6eS1CMyIR_dza5PoLEHUA/s320/PopContainersF10.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547741858947523746" /></a><br /><br />This last one I would REALLY like for Christmas. This would go wonderfully in my den. And is much needed, I must add!<br />Bedford 2-Drawer File Cabinet from Pottery Barn<br />http://www.potterybarn.com/products/bedford-2-drawer-file-cabinet/?pkey=cfile-cabinets-storage<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Cy9Y4I3TkJwJUZ2-QjeDqsD_hZPhU15NhOp4dZ7vh8f0nXk1MB_OcH5cDNh3VSZP_qv0T45xK5y3yQDKhiVLo2X8rUgsQCoCTURMsMA1gnE3_WowIcHDhSLYtAHw0rZ9XCc-zhGykDQJ/s1600/img100m.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 287px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Cy9Y4I3TkJwJUZ2-QjeDqsD_hZPhU15NhOp4dZ7vh8f0nXk1MB_OcH5cDNh3VSZP_qv0T45xK5y3yQDKhiVLo2X8rUgsQCoCTURMsMA1gnE3_WowIcHDhSLYtAHw0rZ9XCc-zhGykDQJ/s320/img100m.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547742557192781474" /></a><br /><br /></span>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153450114033005257noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764388518912760168.post-10362942815429698232010-11-23T19:32:00.000-08:002010-11-23T20:10:24.811-08:00Plan of Attack for Holiday ShoppingBlack Friday (11.26.10) and Cyber Monday (11.29.10) are surely sneaking up on me this year. I have never once been to a Black Friday event - in fact, I steer clear of the mass chaos whenever possible. This year, however, I will be losing my Cyber Monday virginity and participating in some of the online deals. I am really looking forward to this because I am doing all (or most) of my holiday shopping online this year and certainly love to save a few pennies when I can. In order to maintain some order, I have some thoughts for preparing for either shopping holiday.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA8hhCBV6gafIPVx7jo82YZ5sf-WYngsiKRfRy_mR7Co8JbIft2zEqJ8c5jHrUTCKiY2ncwIZE2Lgv07o1pqUlbP8l-nmfnRTJ3dyCKwN5vI5j9UCBVDSFD7OHY_mF3lvfPa4eICAJW3WJ/s1600/black-friday+target.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 248px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA8hhCBV6gafIPVx7jo82YZ5sf-WYngsiKRfRy_mR7Co8JbIft2zEqJ8c5jHrUTCKiY2ncwIZE2Lgv07o1pqUlbP8l-nmfnRTJ3dyCKwN5vI5j9UCBVDSFD7OHY_mF3lvfPa4eICAJW3WJ/s320/black-friday+target.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542963570361680802" /></a><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Step one: Christmas music is a must. Fine if you insist on waiting until the day after Thanksgiving.<br /><br />Step two: Detail a list for whom you are purchasing gifts this year or what you are looking to buy as a gift to yourself. This would also be a good time to consider a budget to avoid going overboard when you get googly eyed by the sale prices.<br /><br />Step three: Make sure to get a newspaper on Thursday because it will have all of the best deals for you Black Friday patrons (and probably a few surprise coupons as well).<br /><br />Step four: If I was to plan a Black Friday trip I think I would probably start at a department-ish store or somewhere that has the majority of the gifts I plan on buying so as to kill as many birds with one simple stone. <br /><br />Step five: Determine a plan of attack - what time will you arrive to your first store? What items will you plan on purchasing at each store? What time does each store open? When do the best deals begin and end? <br /><br />Step six: Go to bed. Early. And set the coffee to start brewing before you get up. Make extra. Set out all of the coupons and random shenanigans you need to take with you on your shopping extravaganza. <br /><br />Or if you're like me and will be doing your holiday shopping from your fingertips, grab some hot cocoa and peppermint shnapps, crank up the holiday tunes and put your pajamas on and...<br /><br />*Make sure that you're registered for e-mail specials from your favorite retailers so you can begin preparing your plan of attack come Monday morning. If you are not receiving these e-mails - go to their website and look around to figure out where to sign up to be on the e-mail list.<br /><br />*Browse the web for specials - figure out when the various retailers will be having their online holiday specials. Many will be on Cyber Monday, but some will also take place on Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, over the weekend, and even extending all next week. You need to know these in order to take advantage of the lowest prices.<br /><br />*Instead of waiting until Monday to figure out what the deals are, create your Christmas shopping list and seek out to find what your retailer(s) of choice are offering and when. Be advised that like Black Friday Early Bird Specials, Cyber Monday shoppers need to pay attention to time frames on sales. <br /><br />Happy holiday shopping!<br /></span>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153450114033005257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764388518912760168.post-21345094594329949142010-11-17T16:06:00.000-08:002010-11-17T16:24:04.310-08:00Kitchen Counter ClutterNext time you see a celebrity kitchen or a featured kitchen in a catalogue, take notice on how much “stuff” is sitting on their countertop. I bet you’ll find a very bare minimum. It doesn’t take much to create a cluttered kitchen – especially if yours isn’t as sizeable as most of the celeb kitchens you’re familiar with. <br /><br />CLUTTERED:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcdl4gyNT7Klx-MTuZxb_NMe_A12bnTKEt2nX6IuJleewr1glZitz2ZVNPVvz4kPV0yPVAc-6bdeF4JRMdND5PAVheNR5vDQATCAJh2k_884Jc1W23cW3NnoAfrcI7wJrTi5tL0GJLcht/s1600/cluttered+cabinets+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcdl4gyNT7Klx-MTuZxb_NMe_A12bnTKEt2nX6IuJleewr1glZitz2ZVNPVvz4kPV0yPVAc-6bdeF4JRMdND5PAVheNR5vDQATCAJh2k_884Jc1W23cW3NnoAfrcI7wJrTi5tL0GJLcht/s320/cluttered+cabinets+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540675485619242178" /></a><br /><br />UNCLUTTERED:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkFmdSGzLAfPSDTA1cRQB1CgmBub1Zgavx2WchVZHGOn_YHK3I0-ntdJAupQu1vdJK4V1NzpRMEtmGmNl0XfxG7iEodqckmkbFbxq1kN7BvJZ44Wrqq3UJFE4JIH2hm4FLwZMU1d1itdv/s1600/uncluttered+cabinets.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkFmdSGzLAfPSDTA1cRQB1CgmBub1Zgavx2WchVZHGOn_YHK3I0-ntdJAupQu1vdJK4V1NzpRMEtmGmNl0XfxG7iEodqckmkbFbxq1kN7BvJZ44Wrqq3UJFE4JIH2hm4FLwZMU1d1itdv/s320/uncluttered+cabinets.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540675194317290722" /></a><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />After we moved in and got settled and unpacked I looked back at the photos of our kitchen when it was professionally staged and noticed that there were very few items sitting on the countertop. Now, mind you, I hardly had anything on my countertop in comparison to my former kitchen and many kitchens in America. Taking note of this I decided to keep only the bare minimum essentials out on my countertop. Here is what I am keeping: coffee maker, coffee canister, butcher block, fruit bowl, stand mixer. Oh, and my little bowl with my sponge. <br /><br />BEFORE:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZXZefHhZTZkYrEqY4m9iAlHtA1WcszchuVs8wHT1_isHUsuqV42inIb2As-_eB_qpvzzSjmObvU3FniXYus5Fm4UH5doa1541cQRZ-3hfMzS2YPkgqgyxIiFDboLo5nyiqIsWzCJQ4iUb/s1600/my+kitchen+cluttered.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZXZefHhZTZkYrEqY4m9iAlHtA1WcszchuVs8wHT1_isHUsuqV42inIb2As-_eB_qpvzzSjmObvU3FniXYus5Fm4UH5doa1541cQRZ-3hfMzS2YPkgqgyxIiFDboLo5nyiqIsWzCJQ4iUb/s320/my+kitchen+cluttered.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540675287900846674" /></a><br /><br />Here is what got removed: salt, pepper, butter dish, sugar bowl, olive oil, utensil holder and probably at least four other items. Where are they now? Well, my utensil holder is no longer a member of my household; instead, all of my utensils are nesting happily in their drawer – neatly organized of course! All of the other little guys are inside a cabinet somewhere easily accessible. These are all things I use daily, but there is no reason for my butter dish to be on display. The only thing that should be on display is my mixer and granite.<br /><br />AFTER:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDtodaBYl6jeFfAkrzoH3iILS_lBdwzJ6amFE0HSagmCSXt2XEE018snmZe-g2PT7TWrU9Yx-vU0dobRwDMYOx3H4FKHhcakDy09TZL-ut7g4dM28AuuzjwtaqbfJ7q0LXZgNfr1SFBhb/s1600/kitchen+org+004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDtodaBYl6jeFfAkrzoH3iILS_lBdwzJ6amFE0HSagmCSXt2XEE018snmZe-g2PT7TWrU9Yx-vU0dobRwDMYOx3H4FKHhcakDy09TZL-ut7g4dM28AuuzjwtaqbfJ7q0LXZgNfr1SFBhb/s320/kitchen+org+004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540678806422921986" /></a><br /><br />My kitchen is now free of clutter and it looks great and very sleek. I challenge you today to remove all but the bare essentials to your cabinets to create that sleek and professional look on your kitchen countertop. <br /></span>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153450114033005257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764388518912760168.post-23644436630258482902010-11-14T11:01:00.000-08:002010-11-14T11:09:08.893-08:00Preparing for Turkey DayWe all know that Thanksgiving comes at the same time every year, but somehow it seems to always sneak up on me. I wanted to share with you my Thanksgiving checklist to yield some potential inspiration for how to host your perfect or maybe first Thanksgiving meal for a crowd.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO5GA2JI_xCVBM33jEvobTiTZHczCBVHKy-2fPUrKU9aszQBbNcgsYYsq1RPbQld5Gy2nGdfXrnNxNL6o_zqnmASbR9PbbsgLybNJ83oD0EM3c1u6I3ScGK0eiN0nnJv-ykEaoVBYoCJg7/s1600/pumpkin+pie.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO5GA2JI_xCVBM33jEvobTiTZHczCBVHKy-2fPUrKU9aszQBbNcgsYYsq1RPbQld5Gy2nGdfXrnNxNL6o_zqnmASbR9PbbsgLybNJ83oD0EM3c1u6I3ScGK0eiN0nnJv-ykEaoVBYoCJg7/s320/pumpkin+pie.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539482917753426450" /></a><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Ali’s Thanksgiving Preparation Checklist:<br />• Create a menu and grocery list.<br /><br />• Don’t forget about beverages and hors d’ oeuvres.<br /><br />• Go to the grocery store – plan for several trips because chances are high, you will forget something!<br /><br />• If you are planning on purchasing a fresh turkey (not a frozen one) you should call your grocer as early as possible to order one. If you’re using a frozen turkey – be sure to begin defrosting it the weekend before Turkey Day!<br /><br />• Clean the house.<br /><br />• Prepare the table linens – stain removal? Ironing?<br /> <br />• Decide what cutlery and serving dishes you will be using on the big day. I always like to set them out in advance to figure out the best place for each dish.<br /><br />• Bring out the cookware that you will need to utilize to cook your meal – be sure that everything is clean and that you didn’t loan your only pie pan to your sister, leaving you without one.<br /><br />• Set the table. This can be done days in advance and is often my favorite part of the process.<br /><br />• Determine a timeline for food preparation. What can you prepare in advance? What is the order in which you need to prepare the food so that it all comes out of the oven at the same time as the turkey? <br /><br />• If you only have one oven, as I do, be mindful of the fact that you will likely need to bake many more things at a time than will fit in your oven, not to mention that many things will be cooking at different temperatures. Plan this out in advance to avoid any last minute challenges in the oven.<br /><br />• Hint: visit Cooks Illustrated to view their Thanksgiving Guide, which includes a schedule planner with some excellent suggestions on planning ahead and when to begin preparing certain foods.<br /><br />• On Turkey Day – grab some vino, follow your schedule and have fun!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS7vKhigrdN8C98eWOXEj273qwTdSr9JsP6sdUZI-e6UeM6a5tdDXl7C71qrxz4aoHi7qUzS8Ab-XSpxmmReOIUzutEDb7begATPT__EARUmmt_B6Lpa8kqlTfEmYv6cW_s-xpSrr7VFq2/s1600/Turkey+Carving.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS7vKhigrdN8C98eWOXEj273qwTdSr9JsP6sdUZI-e6UeM6a5tdDXl7C71qrxz4aoHi7qUzS8Ab-XSpxmmReOIUzutEDb7begATPT__EARUmmt_B6Lpa8kqlTfEmYv6cW_s-xpSrr7VFq2/s320/Turkey+Carving.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539483022447683906" /></a><br />(Yep - that's me on my first Thanksgiving in our old house! Thanks to preparation and planning, my first Thanksgiving meal was a triumph - yours can be too.)<br /><br />My favorite sites for Thanksgiving meal ideas:<br /><br />www.allrecipes.com – a plethora of recipes created by home cooks across America that must hold up to reviewers like me in order to survive.<br /><br />www.foodnetwork.com – recipes published by your favorite celebrity chefs and tested time and time again by the Food Network kitchens.<br /><br />www.americastestkitchen.com – recipes tested over and over and over by Christopher Kimball and his team of chefs – there are only a limited number of recipes available without purchasing a subscription.<br /><br />Happy Thanksgiving!<br /></span>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153450114033005257noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764388518912760168.post-1117280386221703772010-11-05T21:32:00.000-07:002010-11-05T21:46:29.992-07:00Unpacking and Organizing the KitchenReally, in all honesty, I don’t mind unpacking as much as I mind packing and physically moving. I can’t say I did much in the physical moving department because I was at work during that time (well played on my part, I might add!). My assistance was best utilized in the unboxing and putting away departments. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikFc-aZ0t6zZqW99Mw8goY6hBhYXE8UQhhFD1Zag1tG_89ZcCBmtd12eDW4Tw8S5CG6hEzhiN7QAwM7Y1KnPyBo3HxcFUcgc_Qfk8cxKuaOIHCDA0VnPwIYiA4Q64ov98Q9g97tAcJDbSL/s1600/kitchen.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikFc-aZ0t6zZqW99Mw8goY6hBhYXE8UQhhFD1Zag1tG_89ZcCBmtd12eDW4Tw8S5CG6hEzhiN7QAwM7Y1KnPyBo3HxcFUcgc_Qfk8cxKuaOIHCDA0VnPwIYiA4Q64ov98Q9g97tAcJDbSL/s320/kitchen.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536290162446476514" /></a><br /><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />On move-day, my first priority was to make a great big dent in unpacking the kitchen. The kitchen is my domain and stomping grounds, so I wanted to take extra time to make sure that it was exactly how I wanted it to be. We have some pretty snazzy cabinetry that allows for ultimate space maximization.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwSRgZMPfJBBk79T_AfBZF-gLq1KCqX03pwzMlb3bt1CXKHbFMWaIjv6saOEFMjKdvdsKnMV7bx-53g73oys9-FshoBuvnj_ZuB6HPgAm8d3m5HZQzFbxmEXh_EgudgWZ0m6g08cH3ra9W/s1600/unpacking.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwSRgZMPfJBBk79T_AfBZF-gLq1KCqX03pwzMlb3bt1CXKHbFMWaIjv6saOEFMjKdvdsKnMV7bx-53g73oys9-FshoBuvnj_ZuB6HPgAm8d3m5HZQzFbxmEXh_EgudgWZ0m6g08cH3ra9W/s320/unpacking.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536291062165758530" /></a><br /><br />If you have the capacity to make some changes in your kitchen cabinets, here are some recommendations:<br /><br />Lazy Susan’s that pull out of the cabinet<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaRswcHjwR0T0sOFnkvsa1Z53tlzHC8_NX52B8UJpGYqY7ZBrK5p0fOLBelVqq_Mxu7ynYjiTdpk9BjBDKtOHY5CrgzD6S-RlwBzX_HV0wxGCwQzLIFXHmfd7Kt7Y-R0grTNSBoqSJgX9W/s1600/blog+kitchen+004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaRswcHjwR0T0sOFnkvsa1Z53tlzHC8_NX52B8UJpGYqY7ZBrK5p0fOLBelVqq_Mxu7ynYjiTdpk9BjBDKtOHY5CrgzD6S-RlwBzX_HV0wxGCwQzLIFXHmfd7Kt7Y-R0grTNSBoqSJgX9W/s320/blog+kitchen+004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536291556406204850" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipjptYW8xI9YJulMyc_VRP-Zrle1W5ZlQidwsi1XL-_5UMkTOk_BxoZ210dHUA06ntYMMrYPTcs6_2OM8kKIkrBY57yDGf1344NhKqjtXmfv9U2pFi5_i2cn-l7Q84LTqtXjzwk0TB_BC3/s1600/blog+kitchen+006.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipjptYW8xI9YJulMyc_VRP-Zrle1W5ZlQidwsi1XL-_5UMkTOk_BxoZ210dHUA06ntYMMrYPTcs6_2OM8kKIkrBY57yDGf1344NhKqjtXmfv9U2pFi5_i2cn-l7Q84LTqtXjzwk0TB_BC3/s320/blog+kitchen+006.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536291427448478770" /></a><br /><br />Custom, adjustable shelves – be sure that you can fit your tall bottles of olive oil and other assorted cooking liquids<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgABKIE77OMpbDwwRaEpY_5KvoYJLEAULdcOGZNhATXcH8bnaf9kd8cidQm-BhPhW0wB3WGrFGUWlOzh8XkyNPktKmG-omcGDpXJ-cZy0zrugR9cNU_LFG9PcQJImhs5JSidEqPvENSVVct/s1600/blog+kitchen+010.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgABKIE77OMpbDwwRaEpY_5KvoYJLEAULdcOGZNhATXcH8bnaf9kd8cidQm-BhPhW0wB3WGrFGUWlOzh8XkyNPktKmG-omcGDpXJ-cZy0zrugR9cNU_LFG9PcQJImhs5JSidEqPvENSVVct/s320/blog+kitchen+010.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536291279280197202" /></a><br /><br />Deep, enormous pantry – mine goes at least 7 cans deep.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN1JZBCkx7RFfyDtE7jLRqXkv9wTSV3cxTi3aak4q0tfRuDmRlY3EopBfMB2mSYrki3AsIDNwHeetL25NV-hOQCM0K-APGDZT9gRmLCq663dIiiCwWhHLSpp9eaIIW9v2hGjokN-QPIIR6/s1600/blog+kitchen+003.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN1JZBCkx7RFfyDtE7jLRqXkv9wTSV3cxTi3aak4q0tfRuDmRlY3EopBfMB2mSYrki3AsIDNwHeetL25NV-hOQCM0K-APGDZT9gRmLCq663dIiiCwWhHLSpp9eaIIW9v2hGjokN-QPIIR6/s320/blog+kitchen+003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536291836470830530" /></a><br /><br />As you can see, I use my pantry door as a little note place – great for keeping the recycling schedule handy + our calendar of what’s going on. No better place than the pantry door!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlh1knV65Kne0NUttJS23uElt4m-txH37y6kaavhPXFEMNbgslXyQQk6HZbqhwiqvF84vXsxKjkOhDJxixrC92vdUa6_07W7-6Sp-hpqDDjsG8JreERyr-EVuYSmfkSnHRN3UWzvYV3Yg/s1600/blog+kitchen+001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlh1knV65Kne0NUttJS23uElt4m-txH37y6kaavhPXFEMNbgslXyQQk6HZbqhwiqvF84vXsxKjkOhDJxixrC92vdUa6_07W7-6Sp-hpqDDjsG8JreERyr-EVuYSmfkSnHRN3UWzvYV3Yg/s320/blog+kitchen+001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536291715813281938" /></a><br /><br />Drawers for pots & pans – this is just a must<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8ZW39jqKcVWiCKPdIcxK3YVS9bYoeJW-uE2sWf5RW9X1_cjhjs6uAe3tC5LdIHXjclN4iQNIjazdzGXzYkxz2xysBh-TiPux1aj5m-l8aRLvbHN0ikcin6qxtJv0uAoc90vc6oTD29C4/s1600/blog+kitchen+009.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8ZW39jqKcVWiCKPdIcxK3YVS9bYoeJW-uE2sWf5RW9X1_cjhjs6uAe3tC5LdIHXjclN4iQNIjazdzGXzYkxz2xysBh-TiPux1aj5m-l8aRLvbHN0ikcin6qxtJv0uAoc90vc6oTD29C4/s320/blog+kitchen+009.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536292034507738098" /></a><br /><br />Cookie sheet cupboard (I don’t have this )<br /><br />...but I do have a great refrigerator!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCNM-6JsmtGpFhK2pb60vwHcTc46RR2r5q8G7jAbR58yvVtcYMe0S_59dOhPA9iWTz1l8i0GEmLkNpW2ZcIbdj1g2NGRs_Mt-FnEeBqcczY-vw3IOiaey1cnyBTHeZW4XoBz9kNM5qrh-/s1600/blog+kitchen+012.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCNM-6JsmtGpFhK2pb60vwHcTc46RR2r5q8G7jAbR58yvVtcYMe0S_59dOhPA9iWTz1l8i0GEmLkNpW2ZcIbdj1g2NGRs_Mt-FnEeBqcczY-vw3IOiaey1cnyBTHeZW4XoBz9kNM5qrh-/s320/blog+kitchen+012.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536292214208156210" /></a><br /><br />Built-in drawer organizers (for things like spoons, forks, etc.)<br />(Don't have this either - I just do it myself and keep it civilized.)<br /><br /></span>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153450114033005257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764388518912760168.post-88942470268029246782010-11-04T21:32:00.001-07:002010-11-04T21:39:09.199-07:00Becoming a HomeownerYep. It’s official. We’re homeowners! Now, never did I ever think that becoming a homeowner would take so much time, energy and effort, not to mention, organization. Maybe that just comes with any house, whether you rent or own, but regardless – we have incurred major changes here in our little gray house with the red door. We’ve upgraded our 850 square foot downtown condo overlooking Elliott Bay on the Puget Sound to an adorable Pottery Barn-esque 2200 square foot craftsman house in a nice peaceful, quiet neighborhood in the east central area of Seattle proper. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbQT7teOxVfRZX3F11GIBV88DstuyeZu6TGrRjwG9GEN9Ixd2VGXJfqQNnfTNS0I2ApX5_DuMK4v36LLNXgZwpJf8qvnFI7M__kfA4rzPqRA3MRG_V91BBzgvNfzUG0NtwrLA7eS8-ubBv/s1600/IMG_4530.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbQT7teOxVfRZX3F11GIBV88DstuyeZu6TGrRjwG9GEN9Ixd2VGXJfqQNnfTNS0I2ApX5_DuMK4v36LLNXgZwpJf8qvnFI7M__kfA4rzPqRA3MRG_V91BBzgvNfzUG0NtwrLA7eS8-ubBv/s320/IMG_4530.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535919564548507890" /></a><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />As I change the tone and pace of this blog, I plan to discuss organizational challenges that I am facing as a homeowner, projects that we’re tackling to make our home functional, things I’m learning, some of my favorite finds (expect a lot of Pottery Barn!) and lots of random tid bits and some fun photos.<br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5-q_5TcXSj7z-Yy0X4FxucBAspJANj5fnkCZ2NIG1mPbnNKEaB-xNOhvBQ1kkZCxHQ4-uOQp14YevJEYYmU_9Hlh0b9t8QEapqRnCfKhoGTpqe3gq3SqnZR2qajWK6grUkndv59dAo3W/s1600/IMG_4529.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5-q_5TcXSj7z-Yy0X4FxucBAspJANj5fnkCZ2NIG1mPbnNKEaB-xNOhvBQ1kkZCxHQ4-uOQp14YevJEYYmU_9Hlh0b9t8QEapqRnCfKhoGTpqe3gq3SqnZR2qajWK6grUkndv59dAo3W/s320/IMG_4529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535919418161243986" /></a><br /><br />A few of our projects thus far + many more to come:<br /><br />• Re-designing the master bedroom closet<br />• Creating a gear room closet<br />• Filing system for paperwork<br />• Making the storage room functional<br />• Kitchen cabinet storage maximization<br />• Cabinet shelf placement and customization<br />• …one other non-organization surprise that we’re dealing with<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAm00r_LJegVJn2Kyg6QbNmZ6ZqKe0m5L336RYktoZoH06HPwnV6wpxfuB3Jd9jqzFG3zhifXHUIbqMG4OTv0d10hOhJCCYQU7xCGqZ26ej6MFF_NAWquGI0cUJKaR9LuincdS58B0af37/s1600/pic.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAm00r_LJegVJn2Kyg6QbNmZ6ZqKe0m5L336RYktoZoH06HPwnV6wpxfuB3Jd9jqzFG3zhifXHUIbqMG4OTv0d10hOhJCCYQU7xCGqZ26ej6MFF_NAWquGI0cUJKaR9LuincdS58B0af37/s320/pic.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535920279372724802" /></a><br /><br />Stay tuned for great tips, especially with the holidays coming up, I have big plans for this site! <br /></span>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153450114033005257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764388518912760168.post-46695987009152526172010-11-04T21:10:00.000-07:002010-11-04T21:15:13.839-07:00New Blog Posts Coming SOON!I am busy planning and writing away for my updated blog posts from a new perspective as a homeowner with more space than I know what to do with! Please stay tuned...
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<br />For now, here are some pictures of our first project.... the closet!
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2DuNOjsJtiuqiaiEndotO193kIIxSudbd3kR46OnEM9cC9u6S_p7LHCXOA1mt2dQ7Y2BRsfjqAVNyJeLkklLrcvwaDjSdvXlci5cFxsIrt_Z5-CLlzigMVjroMDKdiEh4qkB8xKS2qsV/s1600/house+sept+10+030.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2DuNOjsJtiuqiaiEndotO193kIIxSudbd3kR46OnEM9cC9u6S_p7LHCXOA1mt2dQ7Y2BRsfjqAVNyJeLkklLrcvwaDjSdvXlci5cFxsIrt_Z5-CLlzigMVjroMDKdiEh4qkB8xKS2qsV/s320/house+sept+10+030.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535914230338824354" /></a>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVWLedGDq4bwIJZ3KxVD24rmXz6UxdEH5uM9QzLsyxwdATlk-CugdTFTMYdzM1_NsIqyWmj8iUQgbUzTVWby6mWeTBsiVWD6O11KZIGt7tzzXZGnlMxH65GhF7YsYryj48d7RVt3KeUzHD/s1600/house+sept+10+031.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVWLedGDq4bwIJZ3KxVD24rmXz6UxdEH5uM9QzLsyxwdATlk-CugdTFTMYdzM1_NsIqyWmj8iUQgbUzTVWby6mWeTBsiVWD6O11KZIGt7tzzXZGnlMxH65GhF7YsYryj48d7RVt3KeUzHD/s320/house+sept+10+031.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535914032331316322" /></a>
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<br />Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153450114033005257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764388518912760168.post-9018230127931846902010-08-08T18:05:00.001-07:002010-08-08T18:13:03.876-07:00UpdateSince I last wrote, many things in life have changed! I have busily been preparing myself for home ownership... a new type of organizational challenge to undertake and anticipate with great joy!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnAmCDPt_xvpvMeL-AysIhLgfWQJTnMxu_C7R7gaM6LJWpAjOmr5chZU4vDbIHY6YR5RrqV4fDUqGzIKxedcndBzTQ8Wme-7ROw6UBE4gyvckGuvmGJm6nN1g2mG0Gcm9ePurn3PxYNSJ/s1600/house.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnAmCDPt_xvpvMeL-AysIhLgfWQJTnMxu_C7R7gaM6LJWpAjOmr5chZU4vDbIHY6YR5RrqV4fDUqGzIKxedcndBzTQ8Wme-7ROw6UBE4gyvckGuvmGJm6nN1g2mG0Gcm9ePurn3PxYNSJ/s320/house.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503211503305189074" /></a><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Our new house is darling. It is the epitome of a perfect Pottery Barn house. The house is recently renovated, so it doesn't need much in the form of improvements... other than organizational improvements! :)<br /><br />I have never been so excited about an organizational project as I am about the ones I am about to undertake. Stay tuned for exciting updates about Organized Ali as I take on the life of a home owner.<br /><br />As a teaser, here are some of my first organizational projects:<br /><br />*How to unpack your house without drowning in boxes and stress<br />*Make the kitchen more functional with lazy Susan's and other cabinet helpers<br />*Completely redesign the master closet<br />*Build a shed for the backyard and incorporate some unique, creative organizers<br />*Maximize our storage space<br />*Create a completely new and updated filing and bill pay system, now that we have taken on new and more important bills (aka mortgage payments!)<br /><br /></span>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153450114033005257noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764388518912760168.post-63603499306340715032010-06-20T10:00:00.000-07:002010-06-20T10:07:03.829-07:00MovingOne of my absolute least favorite things to do is move. I love change, don’t get me wrong, but the physical act of moving is not something I, or most people, enjoy in the least. Hopefully these tidbits of helpful hints will make moving a little bit more streamlined and as positive of an experience as possible. I must say, once everything is all moved in I do love unpacking the boxes and finding a place for everything and organizing all of my belongings – that’s the fun part. But the stuff you have to do before that is not fun.
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFwEmaaJqCE_3Av5RXXkoUO3FLU1oU7hFefu3veUk-sp8aEHBW73qhBGE-cf3BzEZTzQWs661ykviK2Xb8pe5FRlxzxsSLuhOgxsS4i3kTNZ4GglffV11vpvq0QSEqKZ2R3HucM9QDeJWr/s1600/moving+sucks.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 242px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFwEmaaJqCE_3Av5RXXkoUO3FLU1oU7hFefu3veUk-sp8aEHBW73qhBGE-cf3BzEZTzQWs661ykviK2Xb8pe5FRlxzxsSLuhOgxsS4i3kTNZ4GglffV11vpvq0QSEqKZ2R3HucM9QDeJWr/s320/moving+sucks.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484902964984705554" /></a>
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<br />I am beginning a mental preparation for moving. We have been house-hunting now for seven long months. We have to be getting closer to the finish line by now, right? I am assuming that we will be packing our own belongings into our own boxes this time around (the last time we moved I sat in the kitchen and watched so gratefully as the movers wrapped and packed all of our boxes for us. That was so blissfully wonderful I can’t even tell you.), so the first step for me will be to go on a man-hunt for boxes and stock up on newspaper, packing tape and permanent markers. The best boxes I have found have come from liquor stores, golf courses, restaurants, grocers, gas stations and any boxes you have received in the mail (say from Amazon or Zappos, etc).
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi39hTeXYc_hR7KhgAhVFiqaOz_EY6rJu2Kp8I29pcLQBnPwBOP_yVnOjFmzzgLg6l9XMs-9og_UnVqwf0R4KEMnc_PRhAp9QIARmRQilPUjqjsPTmwKYLmTly3nVab31V013H2wNR7asmV/s1600/moving+boxes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 293px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi39hTeXYc_hR7KhgAhVFiqaOz_EY6rJu2Kp8I29pcLQBnPwBOP_yVnOjFmzzgLg6l9XMs-9og_UnVqwf0R4KEMnc_PRhAp9QIARmRQilPUjqjsPTmwKYLmTly3nVab31V013H2wNR7asmV/s320/moving+boxes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484902679789636530" /></a>
<br />In conjunction with my box hunt, I will ultimately clear out a space in my condo for all of the moving supplies and packed boxes to be stored until moving day. Likely, that space will be our den. It is the most secluded area in our home at this time, and I can avoid looking at the mess, as I would have to do every day if all of this were to be stored in our living room (the only other viable space in our current digs – hence why we’re moving).
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<br />I have been employing the philosophy “if I pack, the house will come” – similar to “if you build it, they will come” – you know, from the movie Field of Dreams. So, I have been slowly knocking out a few boxes here and there. My strategy goes like this: start in the storage room and make sure that everything is boxed up and can easily be pulled out come moving day; then move into your kitchen cabinets to pack up the duplicates or the items you infrequently use, such as the china, the extra linens, etc.; then work your way to the bedroom and pack up any out-of-season clothes (this will be a challenge for me, here in Seattle, as it is June 20 and we are still in the thick of winter with no sign of spring ahead) and shoes, as well as jackets and any sporting equipment that is out-of-season. Another day, I would grab some boxes and work on the office – I am not going to be reading my book collection between now and the time of the big move, I don’t think, so that can be packed up and closed off; along with the stuff we store in the office – cords, wires, connect-y things, office supplies – all of this can be packed up in advance, if you ask me.
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<br />To keep me sane, I do like to chip away at the task of packing a little bit at a time to avoid a stressful situation just prior to closing on our perspective new home.
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<br />In the week or two before the big move, it will be important to determine what the most important belongings you have are – things like the coffee pot, a few place settings (plates, bowls, glasses, flatware, coffee mugs) toiletries, the computer(s), a few outfits to wear, etc. Keep these useable, but at this time, it will be necessary to pack the extras – linens, mixers, pantry items, and so on. I would pack these last-minute items in a box labeled just that – “Last Minute Items” so you know that is a box that needs to be unpacked before everything else, once you’re in your new space. You could also pack your last minute clothes and towels in a duffel bag or suitcase.
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNh5AJHr2-b1kU6F3fCcNRlwcgMuQNMY3IvRfmcuCpD4sI5eBbbvUw-0RHLFfXnniQNiUIvtW2K97R0HYH0nIEDEXfrNdcCjGSyNjf_gK7_cnnURQHnh1SHvSSe9UeFso-mPpix4uRwKd/s1600/MovingBoxes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 294px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNh5AJHr2-b1kU6F3fCcNRlwcgMuQNMY3IvRfmcuCpD4sI5eBbbvUw-0RHLFfXnniQNiUIvtW2K97R0HYH0nIEDEXfrNdcCjGSyNjf_gK7_cnnURQHnh1SHvSSe9UeFso-mPpix4uRwKd/s320/MovingBoxes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484903079809509650" /></a>
<br />A cross-country or International move will require an enormous amount of patience and flexibility. Trust me on this one. I moved from Minnesota out here to Seattle nearly two years ago and it was not the biggest piece of cake, ever. The movers changed the date they would arrive with all of our stuff several times, which made it very frustrating and difficult to plan for. But, we did turn the experience into a mini-vacation – we packed up our suitcases and headed to the lake for a week of fun and relaxation while our moving truck was en-route to Seattle. We flew out to Seattle with those two oversized suitcases, hoping to arrive the day before the moving truck, so that we wouldn’t have to be in our new home without anything to eat on or sleep on in the meantime. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, as the moving truck was several days late (how long, really, does it take to drive a truck from the Midwest to the west coast??? I’ve done that drive in 2 days!) That was an experience I do not wish to repeat anytime soon.
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<br />Some tips I have for you, as someone who has moved 6 times in 3 years and 8 times in 4 years (so, 14 times in 7 years?):
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<br />• Label correctly: when I hired movers who packed – they did an absolutely horrible job at correctly labeling my boxes. My bedding was in a box marked “Kitchen” and my pots and pans were in a box labeled “Office Supplies.” This was very frustrating because there are things that you want to get unpacked before others – bedding is one of those things, especially when it is brand new and you need to wash and dry it before the end of moving day. I also suggest labeling two sides of each box, as well, so that you can see what is in a box if it is in a stack with other boxes.
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<br />• Things alike go in the same box: this will simplify and streamline the process, come moving day and unpacking day(s). I suggest labeling every box with the room it is to go into along with an in-depth contents list.
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<br />• Don’t over-pack: make sure that you can still lift your box without the bottom bowing out – that would be a horrible experience if the box split open at the bottom (especially if it was filled with something fragile).
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<br />• Use high-quality tape and use it well: if your tape doesn’t hold up, your box could break or it could come open and spill everything out.
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<br />Summer is usually a fairly busy moving time – be sure to call ahead to rent your moving truck or to hire your movers. They will probably ask you questions about the size of your home, the number of boxes you have and your location to determine the size and quantity of the truck(s). We live in a condo in downtown Seattle, so we have a lot of hoops to jump through here with our HOA – paying a fee, reserving the “moving elevator” and making sure we reserve a parking space for the moving truck(s) since it’s on a busy street. After we move, we’ll have none of that nonsense to worry about anymore!
<br />Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153450114033005257noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764388518912760168.post-66795836614234928922010-06-11T20:48:00.000-07:002010-06-11T20:53:24.541-07:00Inbox ReductionA little while back I read a fantastic book that was recommended to me called “Organize Yourself with Office 2007.” One of the focal points of this great text was about how many “inboxes” we have. Thinking about all of the places where we store new information is outrageous. One personal goal I have, since reading this book, is to limit all of the inboxes I have, specifically in my office.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />To give you a better idea of what I mean when I say “inbox” here is a short list of inboxes that I have at work:<br /><br />• E-mail inbox<br />• Mailbox<br />• Voicemail box on office phone<br />• Voicemail box on cell phone<br />• Paper messages to return a phone call<br />• Text messages from employees on cell phone<br />• Six stackable baskets for things that are coming in that I need to deal with, categorized of course<br />• To-do list on paper to add all of the items coming in that I need to deal with<br /><br />That’s a lot! And that was just a quick 60 second brainstorm that didn’t even go into personal inboxes.<br /><br />Honestly, inside that list of work-related inboxes there aren’t many spots where I can trim down and reduce incoming information overload. I can’t just cut out my voicemail on my office phone or cell, nor can I stop receiving e-mail (though I often wish I didn’t get so many e-mails!). But what I can do is manage how I store all of the information in my inboxes. <br />Six stackable baskets for things that are coming in that I need to deal with is a bit much, eh. I have reduced this substantially. Now, I really have one basket with things that I need to deal with, and the remaining five baskets are for filing things that I’m either working on or need to refer back to. I even turned one of those baskets into an outbox (things I need to mail).<br /><br />One thing that I used to rely on heavily was little notes ALL OVER MY DESK. Those started cluttering everything and becoming a nuisance and getting lost among each other, so I have discontinued that habit. Instead – I create fewer notes but have a category for the notes. For example, I run an educational program where one of my responsibilities is to put together materials for my staff. Instead of having 17 notes all over my desk saying that Joe needs x, y, z and Jenna needs a, d, t and Hannah needs t, u, v, I have a list of who needs what materials. This sounds so trivial and obvious, but it has made such a big difference in my sanity. Oh, and I got some super cute Anne Taintor sticky notes that say “I dreamed my whole desk was clean.” They make me smile.<br /><br />It’s the little things that you can do during your workday to make the 8-12 hours you spend there more organized and entertaining. Reducing my inboxes and information intake has been a minor adjustment to a major change.<br /></span>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153450114033005257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764388518912760168.post-20106862181606545402010-06-07T14:38:00.000-07:002010-06-07T14:42:34.758-07:00Anne Taintor and all her witBy now, you have to know of my love for sticky notes, notepads, notebooks and anything related to writing a note. I prefer handwritten notes in any capacity, than those written electronically. I have a moderate obsession with notes; however, after a recent discovery of a new notepad designer, that obsession has reached a new level.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlD8qbBs-igumUy04f4spDZpcSj6Jw0-mL9TVUaJPXRy7-3_zO7zIzFATt-QKJLAYtEVe7_5P8bDA8c0L56MvbsP0ee-DgNX8l-aGtxBuK0mo9eFpsfIgAx_KATaGhBTem0IA-8T9XDuCG/s1600/someone+called.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 248px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlD8qbBs-igumUy04f4spDZpcSj6Jw0-mL9TVUaJPXRy7-3_zO7zIzFATt-QKJLAYtEVe7_5P8bDA8c0L56MvbsP0ee-DgNX8l-aGtxBuK0mo9eFpsfIgAx_KATaGhBTem0IA-8T9XDuCG/s320/someone+called.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480149885976052706" /></a><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />After 3M, my favorite note designer is Anne Taintor. Her products are absolutely hysterical. My good friend turned me on to her when she sent me postcards that were designed by Anne Taintor, then she started sending me notepads and my life had taken a turn for the best.<br />This is the first notepad I received, so eloquently stating “Just file it under “who cares?””:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_RCxEpO5LFtBWRS8eSFLDgnkn-OKgVDyAurjPv-MJXo3HDb1ZW3HR1cC4x5Ir_51sp1FszolSYlXMyAo7mZfSGzH5Awi3LP_6i_BYDJnFbc0UosnMmFk29ZhljssuUjE22BAeq3zIRtk/s1600/Who+cares.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 248px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_RCxEpO5LFtBWRS8eSFLDgnkn-OKgVDyAurjPv-MJXo3HDb1ZW3HR1cC4x5Ir_51sp1FszolSYlXMyAo7mZfSGzH5Awi3LP_6i_BYDJnFbc0UosnMmFk29ZhljssuUjE22BAeq3zIRtk/s320/Who+cares.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480150388625476098" /></a><br /><br />Some more of my favorites from my good friend, Anne Taintor and her collection titled “Modern Office Revisited”:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA70tf5hZ8LYR18Egn8R7DxvqScVmCAeq_CrWJt9t4mddOxry0k-JXDCilXeSU4zNVUtYoAJeweyHuhr4FR3U_Eqflqr_e5sSectVdcMIYHsTyhrmRWmmqGhe6Q4giAc2RBBQezfXWlbCb/s1600/more+paperwork,+please.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 248px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA70tf5hZ8LYR18Egn8R7DxvqScVmCAeq_CrWJt9t4mddOxry0k-JXDCilXeSU4zNVUtYoAJeweyHuhr4FR3U_Eqflqr_e5sSectVdcMIYHsTyhrmRWmmqGhe6Q4giAc2RBBQezfXWlbCb/s320/more+paperwork,+please.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480149776130490130" /></a><br /><br />The simple pleasures, like witty notepads, that give me a smile on the toughest days are worth every penny.<br />Anne Taintor’s products can be found on her website: www.annetaintor.com and in specialty stores or boutiques across the country.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmVccDASyekyuBi2_3XiHmgKyje_8TkfHLKHpa4sVqhF-iQrgiHMkp5ITmn1Id4NSIlKeng9vs1HN7sbk5VYtdF31niiFs-XAX8o2CDt8ovJKKp5nmv4Ucspma3agWEaDmPvs5XsStutI/s1600/I+dreamed+my+whole+desk+was+clean.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 248px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmVccDASyekyuBi2_3XiHmgKyje_8TkfHLKHpa4sVqhF-iQrgiHMkp5ITmn1Id4NSIlKeng9vs1HN7sbk5VYtdF31niiFs-XAX8o2CDt8ovJKKp5nmv4Ucspma3agWEaDmPvs5XsStutI/s320/I+dreamed+my+whole+desk+was+clean.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480149661925792530" /></a><br /><br /></span>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153450114033005257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764388518912760168.post-69610305175608899122010-05-28T20:53:00.000-07:002010-05-28T20:59:44.787-07:00Recipe OrganizationI love to cook. I love trying out as many new recipes and ways to prepare a dish as possible. Recently, I subscribed to two new cooking magazines, one of which has at least 100 different recipes in each issue. With great excitement, I rip out the recipes and add them to my pile of recipes to try. Unfortunately, that pile grows faster than I can keep up with it! I decided recently to combat that pile and get some order to its unruliness.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQOvIYMuQofJeJCQZululJYY_PMgTyIYiwDwJNjPTR9zS4lzXATeqUrZlB8bkseA8pRLeKi6rWlegoloPsPooU8ZmsnaFIWJC6tLLWn1a8M9JeQ3BDvaY9d5HkVpimv5uGpDLaN9H_Hxu/s1600/recipe+book.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQOvIYMuQofJeJCQZululJYY_PMgTyIYiwDwJNjPTR9zS4lzXATeqUrZlB8bkseA8pRLeKi6rWlegoloPsPooU8ZmsnaFIWJC6tLLWn1a8M9JeQ3BDvaY9d5HkVpimv5uGpDLaN9H_Hxu/s320/recipe+book.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476535847552549042" /></a><br /><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Initially my loose recipe pile was stashed in a bulging manila file folder. Well, three bulging manila file folders, to be exact. It was a mess, at the very least. As if that wasn’t enough, my cookbook cupboards couldn’t fit another darn thing in them (that’s another story…). I had recently seen a recipe book where you can protect recipes in sheet protectors bound together in a 3-ring binder and separated by category. Of course this could be a do-it-yourself project – find a plain old 3-ring binder, buy a ginormous package of sheet protectors and some file dividers and call it a day. I however decided that since this binder would house all of my very best recipes it needed to have a bit of style and class.<br /><br />I scoured the web. I mean scoured. I needed to find the perfect recipe storage book. One of the most important components to my perspective purchase is the categories of foods that would separate the recipes I was going to store. I wanted something that didn’t just break the sections into “breakfast,” “lunch,” and “dinner;” but had some thought into them – baking is too generic, it needed to be separated into “desserts” and “bread” (I would have liked to have added “pastries” too, but I guess that was too much to ask) and pasta needed its own special place (right up front) – it doesn’t quite fit in the “main course” section with the chicken marsala. I think that I was more dedicated to my quest for the perfect recipe storage book than I was to some of my college research papers!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxhO2aqbFkOw3lwacTHcuXEK80kEmgkj22L-9TphWTza1pBDT4Sqiw_SafjlPcDKEDiP9r_CzlXmHho44WtT25I88YqhQ82dLhxsuO1z51bDHy2Mn50gwfUbDouVH5aKN7dkEgHtSiY0t/s1600/recipe+card.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxhO2aqbFkOw3lwacTHcuXEK80kEmgkj22L-9TphWTza1pBDT4Sqiw_SafjlPcDKEDiP9r_CzlXmHho44WtT25I88YqhQ82dLhxsuO1z51bDHy2Mn50gwfUbDouVH5aKN7dkEgHtSiY0t/s320/recipe+card.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476536681451669762" /></a><br /><br />Finally, after hours of searching and days of pondering, I made my decision: the C.R. Gibson Pocket Page Recipe Book in Paddock Shawl.<br /><br />And I thought that was going to be the hard part.<br /><br />The hard part was fitting my recipes in the darn book! Let’s be real here, I have probably 14 cookbooks and several hundred loose recipes (not to mention hundreds of recipes stored in online recipe books) – how likely is it that I am ever going to cook even half of the recipes I have? Probably highly unlikely. I love to try new things, but don’t get me wrong, I do have a staple of “go-to” recipes in my back pocket when nothing else sounds good – I do tend to stick with familiar recipes I can trust. That means I must consolidate my enormous recipe collection and become a little bit more realistic. I really cut down - I probably recycled at least 100 recipes. Now, my recipe book is basically complete and I can actually find everything without sorting through hundreds of loose recipes. Every recipe has its place and I still have a little bit more room to add fun new recipes as I find them.<br /><br /></span>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153450114033005257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764388518912760168.post-77735624908898270502010-04-04T15:52:00.000-07:002010-04-04T15:59:01.749-07:00Take Back Your Life with Microsoft Office 2007I have recently begun employing a new work organization model. After my to-do list continued to grow and grow and grow I was compensating by working long, long days – getting up earlier every morning, working in the evenings and even on weekends, I decided that this is not a healthy lifestyle choice I wish to continue making. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj84DIHW4CoBflxQ-gDF6zwfGlkGzHXP5VcukvZ5G2fuW2yxRjD7n_jC42kf5wiL2Wi1WhOgII6DzXlkvOc46_VBfQxoAbxt4RBk91xBnCZA6KCswvM6qhHYWZvnI2HZiSPkPUWKaFSt0zR/s1600/Take+Back+Your+Life.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj84DIHW4CoBflxQ-gDF6zwfGlkGzHXP5VcukvZ5G2fuW2yxRjD7n_jC42kf5wiL2Wi1WhOgII6DzXlkvOc46_VBfQxoAbxt4RBk91xBnCZA6KCswvM6qhHYWZvnI2HZiSPkPUWKaFSt0zR/s320/Take+Back+Your+Life.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456420577390030098" /></a><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Though I have a wide-range of natural organizational skills, it is still sometimes enlightening or groundbreaking to read books or articles about organizational strategies that have been successful for other people. One book I am just getting into is called “Take Back Your Life with Microsoft Office 2007.” The main idea of the book is becoming far more organized in your daily work routines by prioritizing and scheduling out your time efficiently and effectively. My hope of a takeaway from this book is to be able to be more productive in 8-9 hours per day than I was in 9-11 hours per day.<br /><br />You can bear witness to me surrendering my old habits and bowing down to a new work organization model. I will accomplish my priorities in a smaller amount of time and really be able to focus and work towards my daily objectives, which I will spend time each morning outlining.<br /><br />I will continue to write more about how my office organization is taking off, as well as what you can do to make your work-life more organized.<br /><br />P.S.: I heard a great interview question recently that I am going to start asking: “Describe the organizational style of your sock drawer.” There’s a freebee if you ever interview with me!<br /></span>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153450114033005257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764388518912760168.post-75807979143576650152010-01-20T19:38:00.000-08:002010-01-20T19:41:40.092-08:00Online Document ManagementI am always looking for new ideas for storing files on my computer. I have a very meticulous organizational system of my documents; however, there are several inter-office documents that I refer to regularly and share with several members of my work team. I recently looked into Google Docs, as well as a few other document sharing websites and think I have found the Golden Ticket.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHdEW7V2JDpxkTLhpUl8hul4zyksKww8VwBwqWV8mzkzg9V7FA77dHOq4-CHafV-Bjg4fZJP4ccjo-W7uZkwkiAYSONG-YJr5FJlJZrb9K20Xmj6fX2cMwSz3rBiEvigBRvfyyGtog2h0a/s1600-h/google_logo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHdEW7V2JDpxkTLhpUl8hul4zyksKww8VwBwqWV8mzkzg9V7FA77dHOq4-CHafV-Bjg4fZJP4ccjo-W7uZkwkiAYSONG-YJr5FJlJZrb9K20Xmj6fX2cMwSz3rBiEvigBRvfyyGtog2h0a/s320/google_logo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429032820687861842" /></a><br /><span class="fullpost"><br /><br />Check out Google Docs at: www.docs.google.com and you can see for yourself how great it is.<br /><br />Why I like Google Docs: it is so easy to share documents and for others to make amendments to those documents without having to e-mail them back and forth, as well as the document that is on the screen is always live. You can control if other people can edit the document or if they can just view it.<br /> <br />Ideas for what to share on Google Docs:<br /><br />• Spreadsheets<br />• Inter-office documents or information<br />• Travel plans and documentations<br />• Event logistics<br /><br />How to upload & share a doc: <br />• Visit www.docs.google.com <br />• Log in (you don’t have to have a gmail/google account – you can use whatever e-mail address you have) or create a log in.<br />• Click “upload” on the upper left-hand side<br />• Click “select file to upload”<br />• Select the file you wish to upload<br />• Click “start upload”<br />• Click “share” and insert the e-mail addresses of friends/colleagues you want to share with<br />• Determine if the people you’re sharing with can view or edit the document(s)<br />• Save & close – and you’re set!<br />.</span>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153450114033005257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764388518912760168.post-24622626019179977432010-01-03T10:32:00.000-08:002010-01-03T10:36:09.572-08:00New Year, New ResolutionsWow, has it really been almost 5 months since I’ve last written? In those last 5 months my time has been really precious. I can come up with every excuse in the book for why I haven’t written, but the best one is that I didn’t make time to write. Really, I sit in front of my computer for 8-10+ hours at work, and why would I want to come home and only sit in front of my computer again? Well, read on to hear about my new years’ resolutions as they relate to you.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmJxUpbb54nQ-7__kxIIIjMyKyZzSybhv3rLJPEw-MMDpQ3OQy8SlnDTgD6UU2lKYpTyZ0jMQqGHd4yfyhynagFs7NUxhdfBgO32fckBixSFi3eDdF3scSqxALoSmEBSWWVmZR_Wyxseq/s1600-h/Ball_drop.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 179px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmJxUpbb54nQ-7__kxIIIjMyKyZzSybhv3rLJPEw-MMDpQ3OQy8SlnDTgD6UU2lKYpTyZ0jMQqGHd4yfyhynagFs7NUxhdfBgO32fckBixSFi3eDdF3scSqxALoSmEBSWWVmZR_Wyxseq/s320/Ball_drop.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422584140470390866" /></a><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />2009 was a great year for me. I got a new job followed by a promotion, which I love; I had three powder ski days and took a ski trip to Deer Valley and Whistler; I found out the hard way I am allergic to shellfish – but am forever grateful that I have remained very healthy throughout and even lost 8 pounds! With all of that and much, much more, 2009 has been one of the busiest years ever. I had to put new systems into practice in my own life and would love to share some things that have worked well for me and some things that have not worked out so well. At three days into the New Year, I have much anticipation that 2010 will be about 4 times busier than last year.<br /><br />In the last 4-5 months or so my job became a lot busier. During that busy, stressful time I learned a lot about myself, what I do to control stress and how to manage my time more efficiently and the ways that work best for me to organize and use my time efficiently. In the next several posts I will be writing both about some new years’ resolutions I made with regard to organization of my life, as well as writing about being more productive in the workplace.<br /><br />Effective immediately I will be limiting my workday to 9 hours at the most per day, which means that I will have to be extra productive, use my time in the most efficient manner and prioritize. More to follow in another post… My home life will need to become a little more planned, also. Instead of exhausting myself during the workday and coming home at 8:00, fixing dinner and vegetating on the couch in front of HGTV I will be coming home promptly by 5:30 whenever possible and making the most out of my evenings at home, either sitting in front of the computer writing my beloved blog, working on growing (ok, starting) my calligraphy business, reading a book for fun, exercising, spending some time outside, getting things done around the house, productively running errands, or preparing a delicious and healthy dinner. Of course there is much more that encompasses my life than that, but I am focusing on the organizational elements of maximizing my time at work and at home in order to fulfill my responsibilities and routines.<br /><br />The last 4-5 months have been very enlightening for me. I feel like I’m actually a real person living in the real world now that I have seen the stress and heavy work-load that I did. This makes me even more equipped to write this blog. <br /><br />I am so excited for the new and exciting challenges that this New Year will bring. I look forward to sharing with you how I deal with the organizational challenges and dilemmas I face along the way. <br /><br />Cheers!<br /><br />-Alison<br /></span>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16153450114033005257noreply@blogger.com0